# A novel inhaled anesthesia technique for concurrent direct laryngoscopy in rats

## TL;DR

A new inhaled anesthesia method allows for direct laryngoscopy in rats without obstructing the view, improving safety and lab efficiency.

## Contribution

A novel nose cone anesthetic technique enables concurrent gas anesthesia and direct laryngoscopy in rats.

## Key findings

- The new technique allows real-time larynx visualization during inhaled anesthesia.
- Inhaled anesthesia is safer and more efficient for short procedures compared to injectable methods.
- The method is suitable for studies requiring repeated larynx visualization.

## Abstract

The current anesthetic standard for laryngoscopy in rats utilizes injectable intraperitoneal anesthesia. Injectable anesthesia is suboptimal for short procedures due to variability in anesthesia duration and anesthetic side effects. Conversely, inhalational gas anesthesia offers precise titration with a rapid onset and offset. However, its use during laryngoscopy has not been documented due to existing administration techniques obstructing direct visualization of the larynx. The technique described here allows real‐time visualization of the rat larynx with concurrent administration of inhaled anesthetic gas. This method is particularly well‐suited for recurrent laryngeal nerve or vocal fold pathology studies, where repeat visualization of the larynx is necessary.

Our novel nose cone anesthetic technique allows the use of gas anesthesia during concurrent direct laryngoscopy. Inhaled anesthesia not only has a better safety profile for rats, but also increases lab efficiency when compared to injectable anesthesia.