The GlideScope® was designed from an early stage to address the complications associated with difficult intubations, cross contamination of instruments, ease of use and anxieties in the training environment.  It is designed specifically to improve efficiency in global practice allowing users to intubate as normal but with far less force, with greater ease and much higher levels of success particularly in more difficult intubations.  Difficult intubations have an increased risk of patient trauma, broken teeth, cross contamination and, in severe cases, brain damage and death. GlideScope® has been designed to help eliminate these risks.

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 anesthesia 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 (Macintosh) have been used for placement of endotracheal tubes in the practice of anesthesia since the 1940’s. 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 secretions.

Verathon’s GlideScope® Video Laryngoscope 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.

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 anesthesia safe, reliable and easy. The GlideScope® 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.