Laryngeal mask airway with positioning and temperature sensors

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Medical Devices (A61M)

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected March 31st, 2026

Summary

USPTO granted patent US12589214B1 to RUSKID LLC for an improved laryngeal mask airway (LMA) device incorporating positioning and temperature sensors at the posterior dome. The positioning sensor confirms correct placement against the hypopharyngeal wall, while the temperature sensor measures patient core temperature with improved accuracy. The patent contains 19 claims covering the dual-sensor configuration.

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What changed

USPTO issued patent US12589214B1 to RUSKID LLC (inventor Richard Unger) for a laryngeal mask airway device with integrated positioning and temperature sensors. The invention addresses a technical problem in airway management: ensuring the LMA is correctly positioned and obtaining reliable core temperature measurements. The device uses sensors on or near the posterior dome to verify placement against the hypopharyngeal wall and provide stable mucosal contact for temperature sensing.

This patent grant is a routine administrative action that confers IP protection to the assignee but does not impose regulatory obligations on other market participants. Medical device manufacturers developing competing airway management products should be aware of this patent portfolio when designing similar sensor-equipped devices to avoid potential infringement issues.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Laryngeal mask airway with positioning and temperature sensors

Grant US12589214B1 Kind: B1 Mar 31, 2026

Assignee

RUSKID LLC

Inventors

Richard Unger

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to an improved LMA with a positioning sensor and a temperature sensor at the posterior dome of the mask of the LMA. The positioning sensor provides positioning measurements for the clinician to determine that the LMA is correctly positioned with the posterior dome in contact with the hypopharyngeal wall. With this correct positioning of the LMA, a temperature sensor—either on the same chip as the positioning sensor or nearby the positioning sensor—has a stable mucosal contact with the hypopharyngeal wall to measure the patient's core temperature. Therefore, the improved LMA provide at least the twin benefits: ensuring that the LMA is correctly positioned and ensuring that the measured core temperature is valid.