Twisted String Mechanism for Shape Adjustable Laryngoscopy

Abstract

Anesthetists use a device called the laryngoscope to open the airway of patients as part of an intubation process. In some cases, typical laryngoscopy appeared to be challenging to use. The rigid blade can injure a patient's airway and the surrounding tissue. In this paper, a shape adjustable video laryngoscope is designed. The novel design consists of a flexible blade where the angle of the module can be adjusted. As a result, the anesthetists are allowed to view with a broader angle, depending on each patient. The benefit of a wide-angle view during intubation helps increase the success rate and reduce the risk. The device replicates the design of Macintosh Laryngoscope size 3 as the model and the blade is redesigned so that the angle can be adjusted within $\pm 10^{\circ}$ angle compared to the original model. A twisted string actuated mechanism is applied to actuate the system. To twist the strings, an Arduino controller is used to control a stepper motor. The prototype shows the adjustable blade along with the camera system, which is covered with soft silicone. The measurement revealed that the tip of the Macintosh blade can be adjusted to $37^{\circ}$ from the horizontal plane, and the result presents that the device can achieve an angle ranging between $27^{\circ}$ and $47^{\circ}$ from the horizontal plane. The developed prototype showed that the prototype can help increase the success rate of an intubation process and therefore benefit the medical specialists.