Measuring 3D Force and Motion Trajectories of a Laryngoscope in the Operating Room

A laryngoscope was instrumented with a 3D force/torque sensor and a 3D magnetic position sensor. Motion and force trajectories were measured in the operating room during airway intubations of patients undergoing general anesthesia. Additional motion sensors tracked head, jaw, and neck position to determine laryngoscope motion relative to patient anatomy. This article presents the development of the instrumented laryngoscope and the methods developed for interpreting the motion and force data. Long-term objectives of this project are to quantify expert skill and novice errors in medical procedures, identify tissue properties in vivo, and develop more realistic training tools.