CareFusion, AAM Healthcare sign exclusive distribution agreement for APA video laryngoscope

CareFusion, a BD company (NYSE: BDX), today announced its Vital Signs anesthesia delivery and patient monitoring business has entered into an exclusive agreement with AAM Healthcare to distribute its APA™ video laryngoscope in the U.S. and 12 other countries.

The APA™ video laryngoscope is a handheld, portable device to aid in tracheal intubation. Inspired and designed by clinicians, this is an all-in-one device for both routine and rescue airways that offers interchangeable Macintosh (MAC) and Difficult Airway Blades (DAB). The APA™ video laryngoscope is the first device of its kind to incorporate video into the practice of standard laryngoscopy.

Video laryngoscopy can improve first time intubation compared to standard intubations and can be five times less likely to need to perform an oesophageal intubation. The APA™ video laryngoscope offers improved Cormack-Lehane views, superior viewing angles compared to direct line of sight and an improved view of anatomical structures that are normally difficult or impossible to observe.

"We are committed to providing our customers with the products they need through the combination of our own R&D efforts and strategic external collaborations," said David Young, vice president and general manager of the Vital Signs business line. "For more than 40 years, Vital Signs has strived to provide innovative and quality products, and the APA™ video laryngoscope is no exception."

The APA™ is intuitive for those familiar with direct laryngoscopy and has an innovative guiding mechanism to facilitate difficult intubations. The curved angulated blade and the patented prism technology allow clinicians to "look around the corner," resulting in a faster and more successful intubation versus direct laryngoscopy.

The product was first introduced by Vital Signs at the European Society of Anesthesia in June 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The product is commercially available through CareFusion in the United States, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.