Novel Video-Laryngoscope with Wireless Image Transmission via Wi-Fi towards a Smartphone

• Published in: Electronics (Basel) 2020-10, Vol.9 (10), p.1629
• Main Authors: Guerra-Hernández, Mauricio, Vidaña-Martínez, Gabriela Josefina, Camacho-Juárez, José S., Barragán-Villegas, Hugo, Calacuayo-Rojas, José Enrique, Reyes, Bersaín Alexander, Castañón-González, Jorge Alberto, Núñez-Olvera, Oscar Fernando, Fonseca-Leal, Ma. del Pilar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical materials; Capnography; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Electronic devices; Image transmission; In vitro methods and tests; In vivo methods and tests; Laryngoscopy; Light emitting diodes; Mannequins; Medical instruments; Performance indices; Physicians; Smart phones; Smartphones; Technology application; Wi-Fi
• ISSN: 2079-9292; 2079-9292
• DOI: 10.3390/electronics9101629

A low-cost video laryngoscope (VDL) called Hybrid 1.0 was developed using smart devices for visualization. To test its performance, we compared it with a high-end VDL device, using both in vitro and in vivo studies. During the in vitro study, medical students without experience in airway intubation were randomly asked to intubate a mannequin with different degrees of difficulty (Cormack–Lehane scales) by using either the Hybrid 1.0 VDL (GI) or a conventional laryngoscope (GII). During the in vivo study, N = 60 endotracheal intubations were performed by resident and base physicians, divided into two groups; the first group intubated with the Hybrid 1.0 VDL (GI) while the second group used a VDL C-Mac shovel (GII). As performance indexes, both studies reported the number of successful intubations (correct capnography signal) and intubation time. For the in vitro testing, no statistically significant differences were found regarding the number of successful intubations, while statistically significant differences were found regarding the intubation times. During the in vivo tests, procedures were performed by residents and by base physicians, and no statistically significant differences were found. The provided results point out that the VDL proposed can be clinically useful and offers technical characteristics similar to other VDLs that currently exist on the market.