Background:
An anesthesiologist performs a common medical procedure of endotracheal intubation where a
breathing tube (called an endotracheal tube) is placed into the windpipe (trachea) of a patient.
One of the methods used to place the breathing tube in position is visualizing indirectly
(through an optic display) by using a bronchoscope (Figure 1). In bronchoscopy, the
endotracheal tube is placed over a bronchoscope’s insertion tube. The bronchoscope end-
effector is deflectable and can be navigated by the anesthesiologist to the end of the windpipe
where the airway splits into the left and right lung. The anesthesiologist then slides the
endotracheal tube down the insertion tube of the bronchoscope until the tip of the endotracheal
tube can be seen in its proper location in the video image. The bronchoscope is then removed.
The placement procedure must be repeated if a different size endotracheal tube is necessary.
Delay in the placement of the endotracheal tube in a patient’s trachea can result in the patient’s
death within minutes. To avoid these complications when a wrong sized endotracheal tube is
selected, it is highly desirable to have a bronchoscope device that has a detachable control
handle. The detachment feature will speed up the replacement of the endotracheal tube since
the tip of the bronchoscope remains at the correct position. The bronchoscope houses channels
and electrical components. The channels are used for suction and oxygen that are used during
procedures. The electrical components such as a light source and a camera display assist the
physician in navigation through the patient’s tracts.
Summary of MAE156 Project Objective:
A prototype of a detachable bronchoscope is in the process of being designed and fabricated by
Dr. Frank E. Talke’s laboratory and is in need of optimization. The new bronchoscope design
features a detachable insertion tube and allows exchange of the insertion tube from the
proximal end. Torque transfer mechanisms, electrical components, and fluid channels have yet
to be incorporated. With development of these components, limited access to the UCSD Sim lab
will be granted to test the apparatus to improve the patient and doctor experience. The goal of
the project is to enhance a designed bronchoscope by including the final needed components for
the complete system. Experienced medical doctors at Jacobs Medical Center that work closely
with Dr. Frank E. Talke’s team will mentor the project to its completion.