Team 1

interCARE: Autonomous Endotracheal Intubation

Team Members: Sarah Brady, Renee Chao, Devika Dileep & Irene Zhang

Team Mentors: William Tyler, PhD - SBHSE
James Bogert, MD - Dignity Health

YouTube Link: View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting

Zoom Link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/81619177585

Abstract

Endotracheal intubation is a lifesaving procedure that involves the insertion of a breathing tube into the trachea, required for patients that are undergoing surgery or who cannot breathe independently. A laryngoscope is used to visualize the vocal cords, and a the tube is then passed down the throat into the trachea. While intubation is a common and important procedure, high skill is required to perform it, and there are high risks in performing it improperly (damage to soft tissue in the throat, teeth, placement in the esophagus rather than trachea leading to inadequate respiration, etc.). While the ability to perform the procedure properly comes only from time and experience, intubation can be made even more difficult when there is unfavorable anatomy (swelling, trauma, bloody airway, etc) blocking visualization. As such, there is a need for a device that helps better visualize and clear the path for intubation, especially in unfavorable circumstances. The concept for such is a video laryngoscope that has image analysis software to target the trachea, a display on the laryngoscope handle, a soft robotic cuff that can deploy from the blade to expand the tracheal opening, and a blade that can convert from Miller to Mac style as desired. These features should aid in intubation training and difficult-to-intubate situations. The anesthesia video laryngoscope market is projected to reach 328.12 million USD by 2026 at a 6.5% CAGR. Due to its novel features, the concept should be competitive within this market segment.