Development of airway evaluation system utilizing infrared light

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18418
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90140:Medical technology assessment-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Nobuyasu Komasawa 大阪医科薬科大学, 医学部, 講師 (20529226)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 気道管理 / 呼吸管理 / シミュレーション / 赤外線

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to establish the clinical application of infrared imaging to emergency airway assessment. We conducted an initial observational study on the relationship between "airway evaluation by infrared imaging" and "difficult airway management" using a simulator. We evaluated the relationship between the size and mouth opening of the mandible, which are conventional methods for predicting airway management during airway examination, and the airway evaluation by infrared imaging from outside the body. Visual field improvement was evaluated numerically using image analysis software. In the process, the necessity of three-dimensional evaluation became clear. We would like to continue establishing an airway management method using infrared imaging by utilizing image evaluation by AI and integrating it into three-dimensional information by simultaneous approaches in the long-axis and short-axis directions.

Free Research Field

気道管理、呼吸管理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

気道確保は生命維持に必須である。口腔内視野障害等の気道確保不能症例の死亡率は依然として高く、新たな気道評価法開発が急務である。赤外線イメージングは、肉眼的に捕捉できない位の可視化に有効であり、暗所や水中での有効性が示されている。しかし、気道確保領域における赤外線イメージング技術の応用は様々な制約から検討されていない。本研究は、①人型シミュレーターによる様々な気道管理困難モデル（肥満・睡眠時無呼吸症候群・吐血・嘔吐・気管内腫瘍など）を活用した赤外線イメージングによる新たな気道確保評価方法および②臨床現場における赤外線イメージング機能を用いた網羅的な気道評価方法の応用への課題を明らかにした。