Auburn Researchers Built 3D-Printed Laryngoscope
The low-cost device provides veterinary students with a real-time visual tool for practicing animal intubation.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Veterinary Medicine
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Researchers at Auburn University have developed a 3D-printed camera laryngoscope to assist veterinary students with intubation training. The device allows students to view procedures in real time on an integrated screen.
Why it matters
The project addresses a significant gap in veterinary education, as commercial simulators for large animal intubation are often prohibitively expensive or unavailable for classroom use. This tool provides an accessible alternative for teaching essential clinical skills.
The device costs approximately $150 to produce using mechanical polymer additive manufacturing. It features an adjustable blade to accommodate different animal sizes and incorporates a $30 borescope camera for visualization.
The players
Auburn University
This is a public research university in Alabama that serves as the site for the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.
Cooper Rice
He is an engineering student who participated in the development project before graduating from the university in May 2026.
Will Jones
He is a student who contributed to the project while working for three years in the Mechanical Polymer Additive Manufacturing laboratory.
The details
Collaborating across departments, the team utilized the university's Mechanical Polymer Additive Manufacturing Laboratory to design and build the tool. Engineering students refined the prototype through several iterations based on direct feedback from veterinary faculty.
Timeline
Development of the device took approximately one year.
Article publication occurred on September 21, 2026.
Culture Shift
This development reflects a growing movement toward open-source, accessible medical training equipment that challenges the dominance of expensive commercial simulators. By leveraging additive manufacturing, universities are increasingly creating custom learning tools that fit specific instructional needs.
Veterinary students at the university will gain hands-on access to a specialized visual training tool that was previously unavailable. By open-sourcing the design files, the team aims to provide other veterinary programs with an affordable way to enhance their clinical training curriculum.
The takeaway
The project demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration and additive manufacturing can solve high-cost barriers in specialized education. Educators looking to update their labs should prioritize these DIY, low-cost training aids to improve student outcomes.
Further reading
For more information on the latest innovations in clinical training, visit the Veterinary Medicine section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 3D Printing Industry.
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