A new magnetic device for the identification of endotracheal tube position

A new device for detecting the position of an endotracheal tube is presented. This device consists of a highly sensitive linear Hall-effect sensor and a newly designed endotracheal tube in which two small magnets are embedded. The Hall-effect sensor can be placed on the skin of neck over the vocal cord to detect the position of the endotracheal tube by measuring the strength of its magnetic field when the magnet on the tube passes through the glottis during intubation. The results of our clinical tests on 38 cases of endotracheal intubation and 15 controls of esophageal intubation show that the device is sensitive to verify the esophageal intubation, and that it provides a useful means for the clinician to control the inserted length easily. Due to its unique principle of operation, the detector can be applied to all kinds of patients, especially in pre-hospital sites.