THE INTUBATING LARYNGEAL MASK .1. DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW DEVICE FOR INTUBATION OF THE TRACHEA

The standard laryngeal mask airway (LMA) functions both as a ventilato ry device and as an aid to blind/fibrescopic-guided tracheal intubatio n. We describe the radiological and laboratory work used to bioenginee r a new laryngeal mask prototype, the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA). The aim was to create a new airway system with better intubat ion characteristics than the LMA. Other design goals were to eliminate the need for head-neck manipulation and insertion of fingers in the m outh during placement. Development was aided by analysis of magnetic r esonance images of the human pharynx and laboratory testing with a var iety of tracheal tubes. The principal features of this new system are an anatomically curved, rigid airway tube with an integral guiding han dle, an epiglottic elevating bar replacing the mask bars, a guiding ra mp built into the floor of the mask aperture and a modified silicone t racheal tube developed for use with the device.