Airway management

Laryngoscopy

Diagrams of laryngoscopy — the Macintosh and video laryngoscopes, the blade sweeping the tongue, and the glottic view a clinician is working to obtain — drawn for airway management teaching.
Open the intubation sequence in the editor

Laryngoscopy is the act of visualising the larynx, usually to pass an endotracheal tube. Direct laryngoscopy uses a blade to displace the tongue and lift the epiglottis so the vocal cords can be seen in a straight line from the mouth; video laryngoscopy places a camera at the tip of the blade so the view does not depend on that line of sight. The diagrams here cover both, and the glottic view that is the goal of either.

The teaching point that runs through all of these figures is that laryngoscopy is a lift, not a lever. The Macintosh blade sits in the vallecula and lifts the epiglottis indirectly by tensioning the hyoepiglottic ligament; the force is along the handle, toward the ceiling at the far end of the room, never rotating back onto the upper teeth. Video laryngoscopy changes what you can see but not the anatomy — the blade still has to be placed correctly.

The glottic view figure is drawn to be recognised rather than memorised. Epiglottis above, arytenoids below, cords between. It is also where the Cormack–Lehane grading is introduced: how much of that picture can be seen is the grade.

Figures and teaching notes

  1. diagram of a Macintosh laryngoscope with curved blade, handle and light source

    Macintosh laryngoscope

    In the lecture

    Curved blade, tip placed in the vallecula. Lifts the epiglottis indirectly. The workhorse for adult direct laryngoscopy.

  2. diagram of a video laryngoscope with a screen and a camera at the blade tip

    Video laryngoscope

    In the lecture

    Camera at the tip, view on the screen. The line of sight from the mouth no longer matters, which is why it helps in a difficult airway — but the blade still has to sit in the right place.

  3. diagram of a laryngoscope blade inserted along the right side of the tongue

    Blade along the tongue

    In the lecture

    Enter on the right, sweep the tongue left, advance until the epiglottis appears, then lift along the handle. Never rotate back onto the teeth.

  4. diagram of the glottic view during laryngoscopy showing the epiglottis, arytenoids and vocal cords

    The glottic view

    In the lecture

    The picture to recognise. Use it to introduce Cormack–Lehane grading: grade 1 is this full view, grade 4 is no laryngeal structure visible at all.

Frequently asked questions

These diagrams are teaching aids drawn to show the structures and steps that matter at slide size. They are reviewed against standard anatomy and airway references but are simplified for clarity, and are not a substitute for clinical training, local guidelines, or supervised practice.

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