An Oxygenating Video Laryngoscope Blade With an Integrated Lens‑Clearing Gas Jet for Management of the Soiled Airway...

In emergency and prehospital tracheal intubation, blood or emesis in the airway is common and is associated with reduced first‑pass success. Video laryngoscopy (VL) improves first‑attempt success in many critically ill populations but remains significantly vulnerable to lens occlusion. Herein, we describe the conceptual design of a video laryngoscope (VL) blade that integrates a dedicated internal gas lumen terminating near the distal blade, where it can generate a high‑velocity jet directed across the camera lens. The primary intended function is real‑time lens clearing and lens‑occlusion prevention in the soiled airway. A secondary intended function is apneic oxygenation during laryngoscopy. A combined lens‑clearing and oxygen‑insufflating VL blade could reduce interruptions for lens cleaning, decrease repeated laryngoscopy attempts, and mitigate peri‑intubation hypoxemia in high‑risk scenarios such as massive hematemesis, trauma, and cardiac arrest. We outline design requirements, key safety risks (including aerosol generation and pressure transients), prior art, and a staged validation plan comprising benchtop lens‑contamination testing, high‑fidelity simulation in standardized soiled‑airway scenarios, and subsequent clinical feasibility and effectiveness studies.