| Reference Number | MIMM/2012-10-4 |
| Title | O'Dwyer Laryngeal Intubation Set |
| Date | 1875-1925 |
| Creator Name | Young, Surgical Instruments and Appliances, 1771-1914 |
| Description | This is a Dr. O'Dwyer laryngeal intubation set. The red-brown faux-leather case consists of a hinged lid, secured to the base with a brass click-in mechanism. It features a clear plastic label with black ink prints "1982-1982)Inside, the case is covered with purple silk on the lid and blue velvet at the base, where compartments secure the instruments. The internal part of the lid is decorated with some gold text saying "ArchD Roung 61 Forrest Road Edinburgh". One instrument is the tube inserter, consisting of a metal shaft with a black vulcanite handle, and a tip with a screwing mechanism where the different sized obturators (here two out of three) would be secured. The tracheotomy cannulas would then be inserted into the obturators secured in the introducer, and safely placed inside the patient's larynx. To remove the tracheotomy tubes, the intubation tube extractor would have been used, which features an angled spring shaft with a black vulcanite handle. The spring mechanism would act as a lever to open the tips, so that the tube could be grasped and removed. Usually, the set would have been completed with a scale for tubes and a mouth gag to keep the patient's mouth open during the operations.
Dr. Joseph P. O'Dwyer introduced this life-saving method of intubating the larynx in 1885, particularly for young diphtheria victims. |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Dimensions | 255mm x108mm x 21mm |
| Digital Collections | View online in our digital collections |
| Copyright | Free to use under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) |
| Credit Line | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland |
| Object Name | Equipment and Supplies, Medical |
| Term | Tracheotomy -- instrumentation |
| Anaesthesiology -- instrumentation |