Initial anatomic investigations of the I‐gel airway: a novel supraglottic airway without inflatable cuff

Summary The I‐gel airway is a novel supraglottic airway that uses an anatomically designed mask made of a gel‐like thermoplastic elastomer. We studied the positioning and mechanics of this new device in 65 non‐embalmed cadavers with 73 endoscopies (eight had repeat insertion), 16 neck dissections, and six neck radiographs. A full view of the glottis (percentage of glottic opening score 100%) occurred in 44/73 insertions, whereas only 3/73 insertions had epiglottis‐only views. Including the eight repeat insertions with a different size, a glottic opening score of > 50% was obtained in all 65 cadavers. The mean percentage of glottic opening score for the 73 insertions was 82% (95% confidence interval 75–89%). In each of the neck dissections and radiographs the bowl of the device covered the laryngeal inlet. We found that the I‐gel effectively conformed to the perilaryngeal anatomy despite the lack of an inflatable cuff and it consistently achieved proper positioning for supraglottic ventilation.