System for determining an orientation of a tracheal tube in a subject

摘要

According to various embodiments, a tracheal tube may employ optical sensing techniques for determining an orientation of the inserted tube in a subject. The orientation information may provide an indication as to whether or not the tracheal tube is properly placed within the trachea. The optical techniques may include interferometry.

主权项

1. A medical device for determining an orientation of a tracheal tube in a subject comprising:
a processor configured to execute instructions for:
driving a light source to emit light through a plurality of optical conductors circumferentially spaced apart on a beveled distal end of the tracheal tube, wherein the beveled distal end is slanted relative to a wall of the tracheal tube;receiving information related to received light at a detector for each of the plurality of optical conductors;receiving information related to an interference between the received light and a reference beam; anddetermining an orientation of the tracheal tube based upon the interference between the received light and the reference beam for each of the plurality of optical conductors and a difference in path length between the plurality of optical conductors, wherein the difference in path length is representative of a position of each respective optical conductor about the beveled distal end; and a memory storing the instructions, wherein the memory is coupled to the processor; wherein the processor is configured to access the memory to read the instructions.