Dr J. Pacey, inventor and researcher, initially developed a new approach to hydrostatic cuffs for lymphedema treatment (abnormal swelling of the extremities). This early research was followed by an experimental program to investigate Gasless Laparoscopy; the pursuit of surgical operation in the abdomen without gas inflation.

An outcome of the anaesthesia intubations was a new development program to integrate imaging technology with laryngoscopy to provide appropriate access space and reliable visualisation to aid in intubation of difficult airways.

An estimated 40-50 million anesthetics are administered each year in North America and as many again worldwide. In up to fifty percent of cases, it is necessary for anaesthesia and emergency specialists to place an endotracheal tube for purposes of controlling respiration. This can be a challenging and dangerous activity and assistive devices are sometimes necessary. Traditional laryngoscopes have been used for placement of endotracheal tubes in the practice of anaesthesia for about one hundred years. However, their requirement for Line Of Sight maneuvers induces neck flexion, head extension, laryngeal depression and other stress related movements. Numerous accessories have since been introduced to facilitate intubation. While they have offered advantages, they have also created disadvantages in certain situations complicated by blind techniques, skill requirements, aspiration and blood and secretion.

Verathon’s video laryngoscope (GlideScope®®) incorporates micro-video technology and is effective in dealing with standard and difficult intubation cases. The GlideScope®product group offers a revolutionary approach that provides a cost effective solution to the “airway dilemma” of medium and difficult intubations continually facing Anesthesiologists.

Verathon’s GlideScope®enables visual control of the endotracheal tube in its trajectory toward the airway and permits a 50 to 60 degree viewing range. It includes an integrated camera with anti-fogging mechanism and has been designed and developed to make the passage of a breathing tube into the airway during anaesthesia safe, reliable and easy. The GlideScope® micro-video technology gives a clear picture on a display monitor of the larynx and vocal cords, and is a significant improvement over the traditional laryngoscope widely used for this purpose.