Design and Exploratory Characterization of a 3D-Printed PETG Laryngoscope for Simulation-Based Medical Training

This study characterized the design, assembled mass, and analytical bending behavior of a non-commercial glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) laryngoscope for supervised academic simulation. A secondary cross-sectional analysis described responses from 314 novice medical students. After manikin laryngoscopy, each participant compressed a separate dynamometer with the same hand to reproduce the greatest perceived manual effort during the maneuver. This outcome is an instruction-defined recalled-effort response, not a measurement of laryngoscope loading or educational effectiveness. The prototype had a single assembled-mass reading of 95 g; two photographed commercial configurations had readings of 454 and 522 g, without established functional equivalence. Analytical cross-section integration yielded a minimum load-to-stress ratio of 2.483 N/MPa under homogeneous, fully bonded elastic bending assumptions. This ratio characterizes modeled stress demand; it does not establish structural capacity. Reproduced force averaged 12.58 ± 4.18 kgf (123.38 ± 40.97 N), ranging from 5.0 to 20.0 kgf. These observations document the prototype configuration and the distribution of responses to the reproduction task. Missing manufacturing settings limit reproducibility, while mechanical capacity, actual maneuver forces, functional performance, and educational effectiveness require separate validation.