O'Dwyer's intubation set, which consists of several parts housed in a metal case; the set includes an introducer (a), which has a hollow four-sided handle with horizontal gripping grooves and a round end; the handle tapers to join a cylindrical bar with a short tip at a downwards 90° angle; the tip…
O'Dwyer's intubation set, which consists of several parts housed in a metal case; the set includes an introducer (a), which has a hollow four-sided handle with horizontal gripping grooves and a round end; the handle tapers to join a cylindrical bar with a short tip at a downwards 90° angle; the tip is oval in shape and has a small threaded screw attached to its outer edge; there is a section of wire spring just before the tip; a piece at the end of the spring with two rounded prongs (left and right side) will move forward when a lever on the top of the handle is pushed forward; the lever is on the top of the handle just before it joins with the cylindrical bar; there is a round tightening screw on the bottom of the handle just below the lever and a semicircular finger grip behind the screw, towards the end of the handle; the set also contains an extractor (b), which also has a hollow four-sided handle with horizontal gripping grooves and a rounded end; the handle tapers to join a two-piece blade and handle section that is joined with a pivot and curves downwards at a rounded 90° angle at the end; the blades taper to a rounded tip with threading on its outer edge; the inner edges of the blade and handle section are flat and the outer edges are rounded; there is an upper rounded lever, which when pushed down will open the blade tips; the set has seven tubes (c,e,g,i,k,m,o) with matching obturators (d,f,h,j,l,n,p); the pieces increase in size, but all of the tubes are made of hollow cylindrical metal with an oval open tip and a solid rounded piece at the end with an oval opening in the centre; all tubes have obturators that fit inside them; the obturators are made of two pieces of solid cylindrical metal hinged at the centre,with a solid flattish oval tip and an oval end with a round threaded hole in the centre; all of the obturator pieces will screw on to the tip of the introducer; there is a metal scale (q) in the set; the scale is made of a flat piece of metal with one straight end and one slightly rounded end; one side of the scale has numbers and increments lines stamped into the metal; all pieces of the set are stored in a metal case (r); the case consists of a rectangular-shaped base that has a lid hinged on at the back with a clasp at the front; both the lid and the base have metal pieces that hold the parts of the set securely in the box; the set would have originally come with a mouth gag as well, but this piece is now missing.
Number Of Parts
18
Part Names
a - introducer - Size: Length 21.5 cm x Width 1.6 cm x Depth 4.8 cm
b - extractor - Size: Length 21.9 cm x Width 1.9 cm x Depth 8.8 cm
c - tube - Size: Length 3.4 cm x Width 1.0 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
d - obturator - Size: Length 3.6 cm x Width 0.3 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
e - tube - Size: Length 3.7 cm x Width 1.0 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
f - obturator - Size: Length 4.0 cm x Width 0.3 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
g - tube - Size: Length 4.9 cm x Width 1.0 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
h - obturator - Size: Length 4.6 cm x Width 0.3 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
i - tube - Size: Length 5.0 cm x Width 1.2 cm x Depth 1.0 cm
j - obturator - Size: Length 5.3 cm x Width 0.3 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
k - tube - Size: Length 5.6 cm x Width 1.3 cm x Depth 1.2 cm
l - obturator - Size: Length 5.9 cm x Width 0.3 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
m - tube - Size: Length 6.5 cm x Width 1.5 cm x Depth 1.4 cm
n - obturator - Size: Length 6.8 cm x Width 0.4 cm x Depth 0.7 cm
o - tube - Size: Length 6.7 cm x Width 1.6 cm x Depth 1.5 cm
p - obturator - Size: Length 7.1 cm x Width 0.4 cm x Depth 0.8 cm
q - metal scale - Size: Length 7.6 cm x Width 1.2 cm x Depth 0.1cm
r - case - Size: Length 22.9 cm x Width 9.1 cm x Depth 3.6 cm
Provenance
Originally owned and used by Dr. H.C. Mabee; collected by Dr. A.A. Travill for the Queen's University Faculty of Medicine Collection
(q) The scale has 7 increment lines as well as the numbers "1 // 2 // 3 // 4 - 5 // 6 - 7 // 8 - 9 // 10 - 12"; (r) the case has the words, "WARNER & WEBSTER // MELBOURNE" stamped into the metal
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-E5-9
Condition Remarks
The metal shows wear but no corrosion is visible; #2: condition unchanged
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Document
JPG
Reference Comments
Previous number #164; Faculty of Medicine Collection 1984 Inventory; "Surgical Instruments," by the Kny-Scheerer Co., 1915, p. 3188 (same as item C/-11590) (see attached photocopy); found in Dr. H.C. Mabee's obstetrical bag (997.001.456); CD #5
Research Facts
Intubation is the introduction of a tube into a hollow organ to keep it open, especially into the larynx to ensure the passage of air; used in edema of the glottis or in the acute stages of diptheria