MUNDELEIN, Ill., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- For over 40 years, anesthesiologists have been using the same products and techniques for intubating patients. Now, a revolutionary endotracheal tube enables the clinician to rapidly and safely adjust the tip of the tube into position for a variety of difficult airway situations. Called EndoFlex, this innovative endotracheal tube will be officially launched by Medline Industries, Inc., the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies, at the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting in Las Vegas, October 23rd.
“Many intubations are routine and are without event, but EndoFlex enables the practitioner to perform both routine and difficult intubation procedures. Establishing an airway is paramount and for difficult procedures, EndoFlex provides a quicker, easier and safer solution than traditionally designed endotracheal tubes,” said Marc Lessem, vice president of Medline’s manufacturing division. “The flexible tip is the key. It enables the practitioner to adjust the tube and place it exactly where it needs to be in the patient to rapidly find the trachea and successfully establish an airway.”
What is the purpose of endotracheal intubation?
The endotracheal tube serves as an open passage through the upper airway. The purpose of endotracheal intubation is to permit air to pass freely to and from the lungs in order to ventilate the lungs. Endotracheal tubes can be connected to ventilator machines to provide artificial respiration.
Endotracheal intubation is a procedure by which a plastic tube is inserted through the mouth down into the trachea (the large airway from the mouth to the lungs). The standard tube tip is not adjustable, which can make it difficult for the practitioner to position in the airway in certain patients.
“Prior to EndoFlex, practitioners relied on stylets to help them form the tip bend (often referred to as a “hockey stick” or “J” shape) required in a difficult airway situation. This can be time consuming, costly and even life threatening in some situations,” said Dr. Michael H. Wong, one of the inventors of EndoFlex. “Anesthesiologists have been using 40-year-old products and techniques. EndoFlex is the first major improvement to standard endotracheal tubes since the advent of the integrated inflatable cuff over 40 years ago. It was time to enter the 21st Century with new innovative intubation devices.”
Medline is the exclusive distributor of EndoFlex in the United States. EndoFlex was developed and manufactured by Merlyn Associates, Inc., Tustin, CA.
About Merlyn Associates, Inc.
Merlyn Associates, Inc. is a full-service medical product innovator, developer, manufacturer and marketer headquartered in Tustin, California. Merlyn Associates was founded on the collaboration of three uniquely talented individuals: Andrew Toti, father of the Mae West life vest and hundreds of other remarkable products; Dr. Michael Wong, a practicing anesthesiologist and clinical instructor; and Jay Kotin, a successful international manufacturer and marketer. In addition to its new EndoFlex endotracheal tube, Merlyn reports that it has other innovative medical products in various stages of development and launch.
About Medline
Medline is ISO 13485 registered and FDA QSR compliant, the most stringent international standards for producing quality products. As a leading supplier of quality products, Medline is asked to serve on major industry quality committees to develop guidelines and standards for medical product use. Some of these organizations include the FDA Midwest Steering Committee, AAMI Sterilization and Packaging Committee and the various ASTM committees.
Headquartered in Mundelein, Ill., Medline is the largest privately held national manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the United States. The company has more than 700 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services. Medline distributes over 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, hospital laundries, home care dealers and agencies and other alternate site markets from its 29 distribution centers in the U.S. With seven manufacturing facilities in North America, Medline manufactures many of the products it sells. More information about Medline can be found at http://www.medline.com/ .
Medline Industries, Inc.
CONTACT: John Marks of Medline Industries, Inc., +1-847-949-3011,jmarks@medline.com ; or Nancy Hoover of Merlyn Associates, +1-714-259-0377,n.hoover@merlynassociates.com
Web site: http://www.medline.com/