Patent ID: 8684916

Claim:
A laryngoscope apparatus comprising: a laryngoscope handle with a coupling region; and a laryngoscope blade, the laryngoscope handle and the laryngoscope blade being adapted to be releasably operatively connectable at a coupling region of the laryngoscope blade to the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle to form a laryngoscope; wherein: the laryngoscope handle comprises a sensing coil arranged at the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle, and a sensing circuit connected to the sensing coil; the laryngoscope blade comprises: a detection coil arranged at the coupling region of the laryngoscope blade, and via interaction of the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle and the coupling region of the laryngoscope blade to thereby associate the sensing coil and the detection coil; an elongate extension insertable into a mouth of a patient when the laryngoscope is in use; and a tubular coupling arrangement containing the detection coil, into which the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle can be positioned to form the laryngoscope, the laryngoscope blade being configured to be disposable after use; the sensing circuit is configured: during connection of the laryngoscope blade to the laryngoscope handle to form the laryngoscope, to detect coupling of the laryngoscope handle to the laryngoscope blade through a change in an electrical signal imparted upon the sensing coil caused by electromagnetic interaction of the detection coil with the sensing coil; and when the laryngoscope is formed and in use, to detect a force applied to the laryngoscope blade according to changes in an electromagnetic coupling between the sensing coil and the detection coil, the laryngoscope blade being configured such that when the force is applied to the laryngoscope blade, the force changes the electromagnetic coupling between the detection coil and the sensing coil relative to the force; the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle is cylindrical and contains the sensing coil and a lamp, the lamp being energizable upon detecting coupling of the laryngoscope blade to the laryngoscope handle; and the laryngoscope handle further comprising an indicator device comprising an arrangement of LEDs, the arrangement of LEDs being electrically associated with the sensing circuit to provide a user of the laryngoscope with an indication of the detected force applied to the laryngoscope blade relative to a determined threshold.