Design and Optimization of Patient-Specific Pediatric Laryngoscopes

Pediatric laryngoscope blades do not vary in size and shape as patients’ airways do. Difficult airway intubations may require physicians to try different blade sizes and even improvise. In addition to physical trauma and complications, difficult intubations may result in longer operating room times. As advanced three-dimensional (3D) imaging, modeling, and printing technologies become more ubiquitous at the point-of-care, so will the development and fabrication of patient-specific solutions. Here we introduce a method for the design and fabrication of patient-specific, single-use pediatric laryngoscope blades. The process seeks to optimize procedures and mitigate complications by providing physicians with the right tool at the right time.