Simultaneous Display Video Laryngoscope And Video Stylet

Abstract

A video intubation system that provides for multiple image streams to be simultaneously presented to a user on a touch screen display, the first image stream generated by a video laryngoscope and the second image stream generated by a video stylet. The video stylet is provided with a deflection section for ease of introducing an ETT into the trachea of a patient, the video stylet having a pistol-type grip and a control interface in the form of a trigger-type lever to facilitate comfortable griping and manipulation by the user. The first and second image streams may be saved and annotated by a user as desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A video intubation system comprising:
 a video laryngoscope having a video laryngoscope imager generating laryngoscope image data;   a video stylet having:
 a housing having a distal and a proximal end, said housing comprising a control interface; 
 a shaft including a distal and a proximal end, the proximal end of the shaft coupled to the distal end of said housing and the distal end of said shaft comprising a deflectable section; 
 wherein deflection of the deflectable section is controlled by the control interface; 
 an illumination source generating illuminating light for illuminating an area ahead of the distal end said shaft; 
 a video stylet imager generating video stylet image data of an area ahead of the distal end of said shaft; 
 a video stylet storage having use or maintenance data saved thereon; 
   a control unit detachably coupled to said video laryngoscope and said video stylet, said control unit receiving the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data;   an image storage accessible by said control unit where both the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data are stored on said image storage; and   a touch screen display detachably coupled to said control unit and receiving the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data;   wherein both the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data are simultaneously displayed on said touch screen display.   
     
     
         2 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein the image data generated by said video stylet imager is wirelessly transmitted to said control unit. 
     
     
         3 . The video intubation system according to  claim 2  wherein said illumination source is positioned in said housing. 
     
     
         4 . The video intubation system according to  claim 3  further comprising a battery providing electrical power to said video stylet imager and to said illumination source. 
     
     
         5 . The video intubation system according to  claim 2  wherein when said video stylet is brought within a predefined radius of said control unit, said video stylet automatically wirelessly connects with said control unit. 
     
     
         6 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein said video stylet storage includes video stylet information such that when said video stylet is coupled to said control unit, said control unit automatically identifies the video stylet and adjusts operational settings to function with the identified video stylet. 
     
     
         7 . The video intubation system according to  claim 6  wherein said control unit sends updated use and/or maintenance data to said video stylet, which is stored on said video stylet storage. 
     
     
         8 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  further comprising an interface on said touch screen display, wherein at least one of the laryngoscope data or the video stylet data is annotated. 
     
     
         9 . The video intubation system according to  claim 8  wherein the annotation is selected from the group consisting of: text, audio, symbols, marking, highlighting, tagging and/or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein said control unit is coupled to a network and said video intubation system further comprises a remote storage, wherein the video laryngoscope data and/or the video stylet image data is transmitted via said network and saved on said remote storage. 
     
     
         11 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein said control interface comprises a trigger hand grip comprising a closed loop. 
     
     
         12 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein said touch screen display presents the video stylet image data in a first frame and the laryngoscope image data in a second frame, and the size of each frame is adjustable. 
     
     
         13 . The video intubation system according to  claim 12  wherein the first frame and the second frame are repositionable on the touch screen display such that either frame may be positioned in a manner to overlap the other. 
     
     
         14 . The video intubation system according to  claim 13  wherein said frames are adjustable by touching the frames on the touch screen display and dragging the frames to a desired location. 
     
     
         15 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein control commands for controlling said video stylet are entered by activating said touch screen display. 
     
     
         16 . The video intubation system according to  claim 15  wherein control commands for controlling said video laryngoscope are entered by activating said touch screen display. 
     
     
         17 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data are stored on said image storage as combined image data. 
     
     
         18 . The video intubation system according to  claim 17  further comprising an interface on said touch screen display, wherein the combined image data is annotated. 
     
     
         19 . The video intubation system according to  claim 18  wherein the annotation is selected from the group consisting of: text, audio, symbols, marking, highlighting, tagging and/or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The video intubation system according to  claim 1  wherein said shaft is apportioned into a first section located at the proximal end of said shaft, the first section comprising a rigid material, a second section comprising a semi-rigid material, and a third section located at the distal end of said shaft, the third section comprising a deflectable section, where the second section is positioned between the first and the third sections. 
     
     
         21 . The video intubation system according to  claim 20  wherein when the semi-rigid material is bent into a particular shape, the semi-rigid material will maintain the particular shape when inserted into an Endotracheal Tube (ETT). 
     
     
         22 . A video intubation system comprising:
 a video laryngoscope having a video laryngoscope imager generating laryngoscope image data;   a video stylet having:
 a housing having a distal and a proximal end, said housing comprising a control interface; 
 a shaft including a distal and a proximal end, the proximal end of the shaft coupled to the distal end of said housing, said shaft apportioned into a first section located at the proximal end of said shaft, the first section comprising a rigid material, a second section comprising a semi-rigid material, and a third section located at the distal end of said shaft, the third section comprising a deflectable section, where the second section is positioned between the first and the third sections; 
 wherein deflection of the deflectable section is controlled by the control interface; 
 an illumination source generating illuminating light for illuminating an area ahead of the distal end said shaft; 
 a video stylet imager generating video stylet image data of an area ahead of the distal end of said shaft; 
   a control unit detachably coupled to said video laryngoscope and said video stylet, said control unit receiving the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data;   an image storage accessible by said control unit where both the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data are stored on said image storage; and   a touch screen display detachably coupled to said control unit and receiving the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data.   
     
     
         23 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  wherein both the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data are simultaneously displayed on said touch screen display. 
     
     
         24 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  further comprising a video stylet storage having use or maintenance data saved thereon. 
     
     
         25 . The video intubation system according to  claim 24  wherein said video stylet storage includes video stylet information such that when said video stylet is coupled to said control unit, said control unit automatically identifies the video stylet and adjusts operational settings to function with the identified video stylet. 
     
     
         26 . The video intubation system according to  claim 25  wherein said control unit sends updated use and/or maintenance data to said video stylet, which is stored on said video stylet storage. 
     
     
         27 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  further comprising an interface on said touch screen display, wherein at least one of the laryngoscope data or the video stylet data is annotated. 
     
     
         28 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  wherein said control interface comprises a trigger hand grip comprising a closed loop. 
     
     
         29 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  wherein said touch screen display presents the video stylet image data in a first frame and the laryngoscope image data in a second frame, and the size of each frame is adjustable. 
     
     
         30 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  wherein control commands for controlling said video stylet are entered by activating said touch screen display. 
     
     
         31 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  wherein the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data are stored on said image storage as combined image data. 
     
     
         32 . The video intubation system according to  claim 31  further comprising an interface on said touch screen display, wherein the combined image data is annotated. 
     
     
         33 . The video intubation system according to  claim 22  wherein when the semi-rigid material is bent into a particular shape, the semi-rigid material will maintain the particular shape when inserted into an Endotracheal Tube (ETT).