Video Laryngoscopy Apparatuses and Methods for Using Same

A video laryngoscopy sleeve configured to receive a separate video device, the video laryngoscopy sleeve comprising:

• a blade configured for insertion through an oral cavity of a patient;
• a clear viewing window provided on the blade that enables the patient's airway to be imaged;
• means for clearing material from the clear viewing window that could obscure a view of the airway, the means being configured to eject fluid across an outer surface of the viewing window to drive the material from the viewing window;
• a flexible tube having a proximal opening, a distal opening, and a lumen that extends between the openings, the flexible tube being removably attached to the blade;
• and
• means for releasably securing the flexible tube to the sleeve such that the distal opening of the tube is positioned adjacent to the clear viewing window;
• wherein the flexible tube can be partially or fully separated from the blade to enable the tube to be used to advance one or more other medical instruments into the patient's airway.

A method for performing a video laryngoscopy procedure, the method comprising:

• inserting a video device into a disposable video laryngoscope sleeve;
• connecting a fluid source to a fluid supply tube that is removably attached to the video laryngoscope sleeve;
• connecting a suction source to a suction tube that is removably attached to the video laryngoscope sleeve;
• inserting a blade of the video laryngoscope sleeve into an oral cavity of a patient and advancing the blade into an airway of the patient to a point at which the patient's vocal cords are visible on a video monitor connected to the video device, wherein material that is deposited on a viewing window of the video laryngoscope sleeve during the inserting and advancing is cleared by fluid supplied by the fluid supply tube and is removed by the suction tube;
• detaching the suction source from the suction tube;
• and
• partially or fully detaching the suction tube from the video laryngoscope sleeve.