Patent ID: 8382665

Claim:
An endotracheal tube placement system for use with an endotracheal tube by a clinician during intubation of a patient, comprising: a placement-assistive handle configured for manual turning and grasping by said clinician; an internal power source disposed within said placement-assistive handle; a semi-malleable endotracheal tube manipulator perpendicularly attached to the inner end of said placement-assistive handle and configured to receive said endotracheal tube, wherein the manual turning of said placement-assistive handle guides the distal tip of said semi-malleable endotracheal tube manipulator to achieve motion in one or more planes along the x, y and z axis; an endotracheal tube lock disposed at the proximal end of said endotracheal tube manipulator and configured to releasably secure said endotracheal tube to said endotracheal tube manipulator; a video system powered by said internal power source and comprising a display screen, a video camera disposed at the distal end of said endotracheal tube manipulator, and a light source disposed at the distal end of said endotracheal tube manipulator, wherein said video system is operable to display an image obtained from said video camera on said display screen; a mechanized advancer supported by said placement-assistive handle and configured to advance said endotracheal tube manipulator forward to lengthen the distance between the tip of said endotracheal tube manipulator and said placement-assistive handle; and an advancement halting system, wherein said advancement halting system comprises a pressure sensor operatively connected to an advancement controller, wherein said pressure sensor is operative to sense the pressure at the distal end of said endotracheal tube manipulator and said advancement controller is operative to halt the advancement of said mechanized advancer upon receipt of an unsatisfactory reading from said pressure sensor.