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US 8,894,569 B2Granted
Intubation systems and methods based on airway pattern identification
OwnerChunyuan Qiuinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An intubation system of the present disclosure intubates based on an airway pattern indicating a trachea opening. The airway pattern is determined from analysis of airway data detected by a trachea identifying device disposed on a moveable guide stylet of the intubation system. A navigation element is generated based on the airway pattern. In one embodiment, the airway pattern is a gas exchange pattern indicating a trachea opening. In another embodiment, the trachea opening transition pattern is a topographic pattern indicating a trachea opening. The guide stylet is capable of moving in a plurality of degrees of freedom in the airway following the guidance from the navigation element.
Claims23
An intubation system, comprising:
- a moveable guide stylet to be inserted into an upper airway of a patient to guide insertion of an endotracheal tube into a patient's trachea;
- at least one trachea identifying device positioned on the guide stylet to detect airway data as the guide stylet moves in the upper airway, wherein the trachea identifying device is an image capture device, an airway pattern is a topographic pattern that is determined based on topographical features, wherein the image capture device includes a thermal camera to capture thermal image data wherein the topographical features include thermal image color variations of the vocal cords and a vocal cord opening due to temperature changes in a respiratory cycle of the patient;
- and
- an insertion guide device including:
- a data processor configured to analyze the airway data to determine an airway pattern indicating a position of the guide stylet relative to a trachea opening based on airway features, and generate navigation element data to direct a movement of the guide stylet to the trachea opening.
2 more elements
An intubation system, comprising:
- a moveable guide stylet to be inserted into an upper airway of a patient to guide insertion of an endotracheal tube into a patient's trachea;
- at least one trachea identifying device positioned on the guide stylet to detect airway data as the guide stylet moves in the upper airway, wherein the trachea identifying device is a sound detector to detect phonation generated by vocal cords of the patient, the airway pattern is a sound pattern, and the airway features include variations of decibel level;
- and
- an insertion guide device including:
- a data processor configured to analyze the airway data to determine an airway pattern indicating a position of the guide stylet relative to a trachea opening based on airway features, and generate navigation element data to direct a movement of the guide stylet to the trachea opening.
2 more elements
An intubation device, comprising:
- a blade having a blade body and a distal end, where the distal end is positioned adjacent to a patient's trachea opening when the blade is inserted into a patient's mouth;
- a guide stylet having a tip adjacent to the distal end and an endotracheal tube loading section extending from a mounting portion of the guide stylet toward the blade, where the guide stylet is fixed on the mounting portion and suspended along a length of the blade such that an endotracheal tube is preloaded into the endotracheal tube loading section before an intubation;
- and
- a trachea identifying device disposed on the tip of the guide stylet to sense airway data and generate an airway pattern viewable by a user for identification of the trachea opening, wherein the trachea identifying device is an image capture device and the airway pattern is a topographic pattern, wherein the trachea opening is identified based on topographical features of the trachea opening and the topographical features include one of an inverted V shape of vocal cords, white color of the vocal cords, vocal cord folds vibration, a vocal cord's spatial relationship to an epiglottis, a glottis, and arytenoids, further comprising a thermal camera to generate a thermal image of the airway pattern and the topographical features include thermal image changes during a respiratory cycle, wherein the image capture device is a video camera and the trachea opening is identified based on the topographical features viewable on the airway pattern generated by the video camera and the airway pattern generated by the thermal camera.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.