Verathon's war-tested GlideScope Ranger video laryngoscope
By Darren Murph 
posted October 12th 2006 3:31PM
posted October 12th 2006 3:31PM
If you've ever played a round of Team Fortress as a medic, you know how rough it is out there on the battlefield, and having cutting-edge medical gear makes everyone's life a lot easier. Verathon is looking to assist medically trained soldiers in the field handle throat injuries with its GlideScope Ranger, which enables easy viewing of the endotracheal tube, larynx, and vocal cords. The video laryngoscope provides a "clear, real time view of a patient's airway for fast intubations in military / emergency settings," and boasts a "Cormack-Lehane grade I or II view 99 percent of the time." Able to withstand the most extreme conditions, this portable device touts an "easy learning curve," so the operator should have no trouble seeing the less-than-pleasant issue(s) on the "non-glare monitor." The unit also sports an anti-fogging camera, "50 to 60 degree viewing angle" (so the whole platoon can get an eyeful), and the ability to perform 20 intubations on a single battery charge. Unsurprisingly, the GlideScope Ranger was crafted by a Vietnam veteran, and while we aren't sure if these will be made available to us common citizens, you might get lucky at your local PX.[Via MedGadget]
Now all we need is to learn how to conc-jump for reals!
I have used the GlideScope for tracheal intubation in over 1000 cases. The device works very well. More information, with video clips in MPEG 4 format, can be obtained at my GlideScope educational web site at glidescope.net
D. John Doyle MD PhD
djdoylemd.googlepages.com
This device (well, its predecessor, the original GlideScope) _does_ work really well. Seeing it in action myself, it makes intubation a breeze versus a standard laryngoscope.
Healing patients with bloody axe and medkits since 1996.