LARYNGOSCOPE BLADE

摘要

A laryngoscope blade comprises a body portion for insertion, the body portion (10) comprising an elongate neck (12) in which is formed a channel (18) to assist in the guiding of tubes during intubation, the channel (18) being defined by at least a lower wall, a side wall (20) and a top wall (22), the minimum thickness of the lower wall being not less than 80 % of the internal distance between the top wall and the lower wall. Given that the thickness of the channel will usually be adapted to suit the thickness of an intubation tube, this essentially places constraints on the total thickness of the body portion of the blade which therefore renders it particularly suitable for most neonates. In a further aspect, a laryngoscope blade comprises a body portion for insertion comprising an elongate neck (12) in which is formed a channel to assist in the guiding of tubes during intubation, and a socket portion (17) for attachement to a laryngoscope handle, the blade being fabricated of a transparent, light-conveying plastics material, the socket (17) comprising an extended hook portion (26) for engaging with the handle and a sidewardly extending protrusion (30) such as a ball bearing which is depressable into the socket but biassed to protrude, also to engage with the handle.