Laryngoscopes, laryngoscope arms and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9314151-B2
Application number	US-201113697608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2011
Priority date	May 13, 2010
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A video laryngoscope has an arm comprising a video camera, at least one electrical conductor extending to the video camera, an elongate electrical conductor retaining member retaining the electrical conductor and an overmolding extending around the elongate cable retaining member and having a smooth outer surface. Providing a laryngoscope arm overmolded to provide a smooth outer surface has the benefit of allowing the laryngoscope arm to be readily cleaned or sterilized, and minimizes the number of features, such as seams or joints, where dirt or infectious bodies may be retained.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laryngoscope arm comprising a video camera, at least one electrical conductor extending to the video camera, an elongate electrical conductor retaining member retaining the electrical conductor and an overmoulding extending around the elongate conductor retaining member and having a smooth outer surface, wherein the laryngoscope arm comprises a strengthening element and the strengthening element is a generally planar elongate element having a major plane and the generally planar elongate element is oriented within the laryngoscope arm such that the major plane of the generally planar elongate element is parallel to the force vector applied to the laryngoscope arm during use.

2. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the overmoulding forms the outside surface of the majority or all of the laryngoscope arm.

3. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate conductor retaining member is an open channel.

4. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate conductor retaining member is tubular.

5. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the laryngoscope arm further comprises a printed circuit board or wherein the elongate electrical conductor retaining member comprises a printed circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board comprises a battery.

6. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 wherein the overmoulding is metal.

7. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 wherein the overmoulding is a plastics material.

8. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the laryngoscope arm is a laryngoscope blade.

9. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the laryngoscope arm may comprise a demountable sleeve retaining formation.

10. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , wherein the overmoulding has a cross-sectional profile that is substantially independent of the cross-sectional profile of the elongate conductor retaining member.

11. A method of forming a laryngoscope arm according to claim 1 , the method comprising providing the elongate conductor retaining member, and forming the overmoulding with a covering material around the elongate conductor retaining member forming a smooth outer surface.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein one or more electrical conductors are provided in the elongate conductor retaining member prior to the step of overmoulding.

13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein one or more electrical conductors are threaded through the elongate conductor retaining member after the step of overmoulding.

14. A laryngoscope arm comprising a video camera, at least one electrical conductor extending to the video camera and an overmoulding having a smooth outer surface wherein the laryngoscope arm comprises a strengthening element and the strengthening element is a generally planar elongate element having a major plane and the generally planar elongate element is oriented within the laryngoscope arm such that the major plane of the generally planar elongate element is parallel to the force vector applied to the laryngoscope arm during use.

15. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the overmoulding forms the outside surface of the majority or all of the laryngoscope arm.

16. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the laryngoscope arm further comprises a printed circuit board and the printed circuit board comprises a battery.

17. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the strengthening element comprises a plurality of elongate elements.

18. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 17 , wherein one of the plurality of elongate elements is a printed circuit board.

19. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the overmoulding has a cross-sectional profile that is substantially independent of the cross-sectional profile of the strengthening element.

20. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the overmoulding is metal.

21. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 wherein the overmoulding is a plastics material.

22. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the laryngoscope arm is a laryngoscope blade.

23. A laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , wherein the laryngoscope arm may comprise a demountable sleeve retaining formation.

24. A video laryngoscope comprising a body and a laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 .

25. A video laryngoscope according to claim 24 , wherein the body comprises a handle support integral with an elongate conductor retaining member and a handle overmoulded on the handle support.

26. A video laryngoscope according to claim 25 , wherein the handle support has a recess associated therewith which forms a chamber to retain at least one battery.

27. A video laryngoscope according to claim 24 , wherein the body of the video laryngoscope has a central axis and the video laryngoscope further comprises a printed circuit board oriented parallel to a plane including the central axis, the printed circuit board retaining control electronics, providing power to the camera and proving mechanical support to the laryngoscope arm.

28. A video laryngoscope according to claim 24 , wherein the laryngoscope arm comprises a demountable sleeve retaining formation, and the video laryngoscope further comprises a demountable laryngoscope blade having a channel into which the arm may fit, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the channel of the demountable laryngoscope blade comprises a keying feature and the cross-sectional profile of the overmoulding comprises a keying feature which is complementary to the keying feature of the channel of the demountable laryngoscope blade.

29. A method of forming a laryngoscope arm according to claim 14 , the method comprising forming the overmoulding with a covering material around the electrical conductor and forming the smooth outer surface.

30. A method of forming a laryngoscope comprising providing a body and an arm comprising a video camera and a strengthening element that is a generally planar elongate element having a major plane and the generally planar elongate element is oriented within the arm such that the major plane of the generally planar elongate element is parallel to the force vector applied to the arm during use, providing at least one electrical conductor extending to the video camera, providing an elongate electrical conductor retaining member retaining the electrical conductor and forming an overmoulding, the overmoulding defining at least part, or at least the majority, or all, of the body wherein the overmoulding on the body and the arm are continuous.

31. A method of forming a laryngoscope according to claim 30 , wherein the body comprises a screen.

32. A laryngoscope comprising a body and an arm comprising a video camera, at least one electrical conductor extending to the video camera, an elongate electrical connector retaining member retaining the electrical conductor and an overmoulding, the overmoulding defining at least part, or at least the majority, or all of the body, wherein the overmoulding on the body and the arm are continuous and wherein the arm comprises a strengthening element and the strengthening element is a generally planar elongate element having a major plane and the generally planar elongate element is oriented within the arm such that t

Assignees

• Mcgrath Matthew John Ross
• Inglis Peter Douglas Colin
• Aircraft Medical Ltd

Inventors

• Mcgrath Matthew John Ross
• Inglis Peter Douglas Colin

Classifications

• A61B1/044

  for absorption imaging · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• A61B1/00078

  with stiffening means · CPC title

• A61B1/00066

  Proximal part of endoscope body, e.g. handles (A61B1/0052 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/267 Primary

  for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes · CPC title