Laryngoscope
AssigneeNational University Corporation Okayama University
InventorsYoshimasa Takeda, Kiyoshi Morita, Takeharu Kobayashi
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Abstract
A laryngoscope is provided with which an operator can directly observe the trachea inlet portion of a patient easily by safely and surely lifting the epiglottis of the patient with a proximal end portion of a laryngoscope blade which is inserted in the mouth of the patient. The blade is connected to a distal end portion of a grippable handle, a first electrode is mounted on a distal end portion of the blade, and a second electrode is configured to adhere to a skin surface of the patient in the vicinity of the epiglottis, and a low frequency current is supplied to flow between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Claims5
A laryngoscope configured to facilitate observation of a trachea inlet portion of a patient, comprising
- a blade for insertion into a mouth of the patient, the blade being formed into an approximately rectangular plate shape, having a tongue depressor which is bent downwardly in a concave shape, and having on a side edge of the tongue depressor in a downwardly extending manner a pushing plate configured for pushing a tongue toward one side in an oral cavity of the patient;
- a grippable handle having a distal end to which the blade is connected,
- a first electrode mounted on a distal end portion of the tongue depressor,
- a second electrode configured to contact the patient's body in a vicinity of an epiglottis of the patient, and
- electrical connections between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
- wherein during a power on state of the laryngoscope, a low frequency current is conducted between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
- wherein during the power on state, the first electrode is configured to give tetanic stimulation to muscles around the epiglottis, whereby the epiglottis is lifted, exposing the trachea inlet portion so as to facilitate said observation of the trachea inlet portion.
A laryngoscope configured to facilitate observation of a trachea inlet portion of a patient, comprising
- a blade for insertion into a mouth of the patient,
- a grippable handle having a distal end to which the blade is connected,
- a first electrode and a second electrode mounted on a distal end portion of the blade, said first electrode and blade being configured so that the first electrode is positioned in contact with muscle around an epiglottis of the patient when the blade is inserted,
- electrical connections between the first electrode and the second electrode though which a low frequency current is conducted between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
- means for electrically facilitating lifting of the epiglottis by which the trachea inlet portion is exposed, so as to facilitate said observation of the trachea inlet portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.