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BOTHELL, Wash. -- The GlideScope video laryngoscope, invented by Canadian vascular surgeon Dr. Jack Pacey and manufactured in Vancouver, B.C. is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2011. A celebration will be held on April 21st at the company’s new state of the art manufacturing facility in Burnaby, B.C.
Since its introduction, the GlideScope brand has forged the path for an entirely new category of airway devices; the video laryngoscope (VL) class. A widely used “go to” device for Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Emergency, EMS and Military health care providers, the GlideScope provides a consistently clear view of the airway, enabling quick intubation.
Unlike a direct laryngoscope (DL) which may not always provide a clear airway view, resulting in a “blind” procedure, the GlideScope consistently provides a clear picture of the larynx and vocal cords on the display monitor, offering visual control of the endotracheal tube (ETT) in its trajectory toward the airway. With an integrated camera and anti-fogging mechanism providing an excellent viewing range, and “blades” in multiple patient sizes, in both reusable and single-use forms, the GlideScope facilitates fast, accurate ETT placement.
“We’re extremely gratified that the GlideScope has helped save lives over the past ten years,” stated Dr. Jack Pacey, President of Verathon Medical Canada and inventor of the device. “And we’re very proud that our Canada employees and operations have been at the center of this major innovation in airway management worldwide.”
Traditional direct laryngoscopes have been widely used since WWII. However, they frequently require “line of sight” maneuvers which can induce neck flexion, head extension, laryngeal depression and other stress related movements. In late 1999, Dr. Pacey, in his capacity as a vascular surgeon, recognized a clear need for improvement in anesthesia intubations.
In his basement workshop, Dr. Pacey integrated imaging technology with laryngoscopy, to provide reliable visualization and procedural access space to aid in the intubation of difficult airways. The pioneering work of Dr. Pacey and his team in Canada resulted in the introduction of the innovative GlideScope video laryngoscope in 2001.
With the extensive adoption of this significant innovation in the field of airway management, video laryngoscopy has now become a routine practice in health care facilities around the globe. In addition to Anesthesiologists and Intensivists, it is actively used by EMS and military teams worldwide. It also has been featured in the well know television show, “ER” (NBC) and “Royal Pains” (USA Network).
Dr. Pacey continues to lead a dynamic team in Burnaby, including manufacturing the popular GlideScope and engineering new healthcare solutions.
About Verathon Inc.
Verathon designs and manufactures reliable, state-of-the-art medical devices and services that offer a meaningful improvement in patient care to the health care community. The company’s noninvasive BladderScan instrument is a standard of care for portable ultrasound bladder volume measurement. The brand is found in over 60 countries in Urology and Primary Care practices, as well as Acute and Extended Care facilities. With the acquisition of Saturn Biomedical Systems in Vancouver, Canada, Verathon entered Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Emergency markets with the GlideScope video laryngoscope brand. Verathon is headquartered in Bothell, Washington and operates as a subsidiary of Roper Industries. For more information, please visit verathon.com.
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