Illuminated surgical speculum

Claim 1

An illuminated laryngoscope insertable into the larynx, the laryngoscope, after insertion, being pulled toward the teeth and being subjected to relatively heavy mechanical stresses, said laryngoscope comprising: A. a hollow handle having a light source therein and a battery for energizing said source, and B. an applicator assembly pivotally attached to said handle so that it may be folded against the handle or extended into an operative position at approximately a right angle to the handle, said assembly being constituted by a depressor blade formed of a relatively high-strength resin, whose strength is comparable to metal and being capable of withstanding the mechanical stresses to which the blaDe is subjected when in use without causing injury to teeth engaged thereby, said blade having a curvature to facilitate entry into the larynx and defining a concave underface and a convex upper face, the underface of the blade being contoured to engage the organic substance which forms the wall of the area of insertion, and a light-transmitting conduit having optical properties mounted on the upper face of the blade and conforming to the curvature thereof, said conduit being formed of a material which is fragile relative to the material of the blade and having one end thereof positioned in light-receiving relation to the light source in the handle when the assembly is extended, the other end terminating on said blade at a point adjacent the free end thereof to emit light for illuminating the larynx.