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One of Lucien E. Morris' illustrations for his "Anesthesia Apparatus" filed with his US patent application in 1953. Patent number US2890696 was approved in 1959 for what became known as the Copper Kettle vaporizer.

Henry E. G. Boyle, OBE, FRCS, DA (1875-1941) introduced this anesthesia machine in 1917. It was a modification of the American-made Gwathmey-Woolsey apparatus. It was so successful that it remained in production for fifty years. It could administer…

Instructor teaching how to give a spinal anesthetic, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, 1974.

The LMA (Laryngeal Mask Airway) was first introduced in 1988. It is an airway device designed to rest upon the vocal cords rather than passing through, presenting less risk of vocal cord damage.

A modern example of a cuffed endotracheal tube. A cuff is inflated in the patient’s airway through the small side tube. Once inflated it helps to prevent aspiration and blocks air from flowing around the tube.

In 1941, Dr. Francis J. Murphy (1900-1972), had some new design ideas for the simple endotracheal tube. He described both straight and curved tubes with holes on the side that act as emergency vents should the primary end opening become clogged. This…

James G. Poe, MD (1873-1935) designed this 5 inch long oral airway for use during operations as a prop to hold the mouth open. The center channel allows the passage of air. The two openings on the sides were for tubes used to introduce anesthetic…

Figure 33 from Obstetrical Anesthesia, Its Priciples and Practice, Bert B. Hershenson, MD demonstrates the first step in intubating a newborn—placement of the laryngoscope.

Figure 23 from Obstetrical Anesthesia, Its Priciples and Practice by Bert B. Hershenson, MD demonstrates the proper placement of an endotracheal tube.

This example is an early improvement to the Miller designed straight-bladed laryngoscope. Richard Foregger’s version included a collapsible blade. His idea was granted a patent in 1942.