In-vitro evaluation of the Singularity Air laryngeal mask: a randomized controlled comparison between medical personnel trained and untrained in airway management.

introductionSupraglottic airway devices (SGAs) are essential tools in anesthesia and emergency medicine and are easier to teach than endotracheal intubation. The Singularity Air is a recently introduced second-generation laryngeal mask featuring an adjustable shaft angle to improve sealing. This study compared its bench performance between medical personnel with and without airway management training. MATERIAL AND

methodsIn this randomized, controlled in-vitro study, medical personnel each performed five consecutive insertions using the Singularity Air and a comparator device. Study Part A included 20 participants without anesthesia training, who used the LMA Unique. Study Part B included 20 anesthesia-trained staff, who used the Ambu AuraGain. The primary endpoint was time to successful ventilation, defined as visible chest movement of the mannequin. Participants rated insertion difficulty on a 0-10 scale.

resultsOverall insertion success was 99-100% across all devices. For the Singularity Air, median time to successful ventilation on the first attempt was 17 seconds (IQR 10-22) in the non-anesthesiology group and 12 seconds (IQR 10-14) in the anesthesia-trained group (P = 0.287). By the fifth attempt, both groups achieved 7.5 seconds (IQR 5-10 and 6-8, respectively; P = 0.674). Time to ventilation and difficulty ratings were low and comparable to the established devices. The non-anesthesiology participants improved more between the first and fifth attempts than anesthesia-trained participants (P = 0.152).

conclusionsThe Singularity Air laryngeal mask achieved a high success rate and comparable time to ventilation in an in-vitro study when used by acute care medical personnel, regardless of prior airway management training. Larger clinical studies are warranted to confirm these findings and evaluate performance in real patients.