POSTER
Emre Eraslan, Dhritiman Roy, Praveen Kumar, Shandra Jamison, Avinash Gupta
Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a critical procedure involving inserting a flexible tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway and enable artificial respiration. It is routinely performed in operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency departments, often in high-stakes, time-sensitive situations. Despite its frequency, ETI requires significant training and psychomotor coordination to execute safely and effectively. Without proper training, novices are more likely to exert excessive force, apply pressure to incorrect anatomical landmarks, or improperly align the airway. These errors can result in complications such as dental trauma, mucosal injuries, or failed airway access. To address this, we developed an augmented reality-assisted endotracheal intubation trainer integrating multiple sensor modalities directly onto the laryngoscope, with an airway manikin. The system includes force sensing resistors to quantify pressure on the airway and tongue, capacitive sensors to detect low-force contact with sensitive structures like the teeth and epiglottis, and inertial measurement units to track hand motion. A custom-designed printed circuit board enables wireless data communication using a compact RF24 module in an enclosure threaded to the laryngoscope with a compact setup. Real-time sensor data is visualized through a graphical user interface displayed on a portable touchscreen system through Unity, which provides detailed feedback on applied forces, positioning, and laryngoscope orientation in a hospital setting. The trainer has been calibrated, integrated, and validated through initial testing with medical professionals, and is now undergoing extended evaluation. This system offers a compact, portable, and highly interactive training platform for improving intubation proficiency in medical education.