Intubation robot could help patients breathe

A robotic device that crawls into lungs could help deliver vital air to patients, researchers say. Currently, intubation requires physicians to look down the throat, and choose between two very similar openings, one leading to the lungs, the other to the stomach. Researchers note that about 20 million intubation procedures are carried out every year in the United States alone. Difficult intubations, where a good view is limited, make up about 2.6 million procedures in the U.S. and cost an estimated $910 million annually.