Digital Laryngoscope - A New Force Measuring Laryngoscope

A laryngoscope is a medical device commonly used in most hospitals worldwide and used to conduct an oral or endotracheal intubation which leads to changes in the patient parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) due to the force applied on the tongue and other soft-tissues. However, these parameters are being monitored continuously, and provide guidance for anaesthetists to control the drugs which may lead to an inadequate dosage. This work aims to develop a laryngoscope capable of measuring the force applied during a laryngoscopy. To measure the applied force, several solutions, based on different sensors, were analysed and tested. The traditional laryngoscope xenon lighting lamp was replaced by a high bright LED which result in a clear illumination and lower batteries consumption. A Bluetooth® communication module was also include to allow a real-time force acquisition and display.