Living With Healthy Hunger Health Blog
Since the post-World War II times, laryngoscopy has been performed in essentially one of the ways – using Miller’s Straight blade or the Macintosh curved blade laryngoscopes. Although both of them did a decent job of intubating the larynx for most of the patients, there were few cases where the same did not yield the optimum results.
Latest technologies in laryngoscopy
With the advent of digital technologies led by CMOS based chipsets, video laryngoscopes (VL) have found a stable home in most of the advanced medical centers. The technology is primarily focused on providing a high definition enlarged image of the airway paths – larynx specifically – for better visualization. The procedure involves passing a fiber optic cable mounted on an endotracheal tube through the mouth or nose of the patient. This can be used either to collect samples for further processing or for placement of artificial ventilators near the tracheal rings or carina of the patient.
With continuous research and better engineering, major breakthroughs have been performed in the way the device is handled – flexible sheaths, deflectable tips, fiber optic cable for HD visualizations – are only some of the advancements seen in recent times. Moreover, to reduce the cost of these procedures, manufacturers have tried to develop multi-use laryngoscopes with focus on containing the strict hygiene standards so as to prevent the spread of contamination from one patient to another.
Laryngoscopy equipment
Many companies have evolved as specialist OEM manufacturers in this field. McGrath’s MAC, APA, IntuaBrite and Karl Storz’s CMAC are some of the reputed names. Karl Storz Video Laryngoscope with its CMAC range provides some of the most advanced features available in VL. With solutions ranging from intubation to pediatrics, these devices have been recognized for their innovation in various summits including the German Innovation Award in 2017. With the advancement of electronics to higher efficiency and lower nanometer chipsets, we can expect the procedures to improve further.
