Laryngoscope

A laryngoscope is an instrument used to examine the larynx and vocal cords and to guide a tube into the windpipe during tracheal intubation. Manuel Garcia, a Spanish singing teacher, is often credited with building the first laryngoscope in 1854, using a small angled mirror placed at the back of his own throat and a hand mirror to reflect sunlight onto it so he could observe his own vocal cords while singing. Later physicians adapted the technique for medical use, and the laryngoscope became a standard tool in anesthesia and emergency medicine for safely inserting a breathing tube.