Clinical Ergonomic Evaluation of 3D-Printed vs. Commercial Video Laryngoscopes for Teaching and Practice
Description
Introduction: A 3D-printed video laryngoscope (VLP-3D) was developed as a low-cost, accessible alternative to commercial devices, with potential for both clinical and training use. This study evaluated its usability, safety, and feasibility according to international regulatory standards. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted with 60 physicians. Usability was assessed through heuristic analysis (Zhang’s principles), structured testing in simulated and clinical settings, and the System Usability Scale (SUS), subdivided into perceived usability and learnability. Objective measures included intubation time, success rate, and laryngeal visualization time. Statistical analysis included Kruskal–Wallis, Pearson correlation, logistic regression, Wilcoxon tests, and meta-analysis (RevMan 5.4). Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I and GRADE. Results: VLP-3D and the commercial laryngoscope (VLP-C) showed high usability scores (87.01 vs. 85.09; Grade A), with no significant performance differences (p > 0.05). Perceived usability and learnability were comparable (M = 3.25 and 2.56), with a weak but significant correlation in the VLP-3D group (r = 0.241; p = 0.046). Logistic regression indicated low predictive power (Nagelkerke R² = 0.14) due to class imbalance. Meta-analysis confirmed procedural equivalence with the existing literature. Conclusion: VLP-3D demonstrated similar usability and efficiency to a commercial device, supporting its use in both training and potential clinical applications. The study also presents a structured, reproducible framework for evaluating medical device usability. Keywords: Airway management; Human factors; System Usability Scale; 3D-printed medical devices; Usability evaluation; Video laryngoscope.
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Institutions
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas