Between the face mask and the tracheal tube there was a gap: an airway that could be placed without a laryngoscope and without holding the face by hand. British anaesthetist Archie Brain filled it with the laryngeal mask.
From idea to prototype
Brain completed his first prototype in 1981 at his home in London, adapting the cuff of a Goldman dental nasal mask to fit around the laryngeal inlet. He filed a patent application in 1982.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1981 | First laryngeal mask prototype, built in London. |
| 1982 | Patent application. |
| Dec 1987 | The first commercial laryngeal mask, silicone and mass-produced, is distributed by The Laryngeal Mask Company (UK). |
Why it matters today
The laryngeal mask and its successors are part of difficult airway algorithms: a supraglottic device is a rescue route that training must rehearse.
Sources
- Association of Anaesthetists · Dr Archie Brain: The Laryngeal Mask (Heritage Centre)
- Association of Anaesthetists · Archie Brain: celebrating 30 years of development in laryngeal mask airways
Image: courtesy of PAC (The Protected Airway Collaborative).
Educational content; it does not replace clinical judgment or your institution's guidelines.