Five airway tubes of varying sizes

Made:
2000-2002
5x airway tubes of varying sizes, each colour coded 5x airway tubes of varying sizes, each colour coded

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Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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5x airway tubes of varying sizes, each colour coded
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

5x airway tubes of varying sizes, each colour coded
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Five airway tubes of varying sizes, each colour coded, part of medical equipment and tools supplied to members of the London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Unit

Emergency responders on two wheels are a familiar sight in many cities, particularly during large scale events. Yet the UK’s first ambulance Cycle Response Unit (CRU) was established relatively recently. The idea was the brainchild of Emergency Medical Technician and former BMX racing champion Tom Lynch MBE, who knew he could reach people faster by bike on London’s gridlocked streets. In 1999 the NHS agreed to trial the service, and Tom made the most of his bicycle industry contacts to source the right equipment for the job. From the bike itself to the tyres, racks, panniers, uniform, and BMX helmet, each was selected and customised by Tom to ensure he could safely carry all the life-saving equipment transported by an ambulance. With everything on board – including a portable defibrillator, oxygen, entonox (commonly known as gas and air), monitors, drugs and a first aid kit – the unit weighed nearly 27kg.

Tom said, “I knew the day the trial became a success. I was based around the West End and the calls were coming in and I was doing my best to ease the pressure on the ambulance crews. I would race to incidents, flying past traffic, cycling where motor vehicles could not go and getting to patients quickly. That particular day I went to five incidents within one hour. I treated the patients, cancelled the ambulances and used other medical centres as opposed to the accident and emergency."

Over a six-month period, he was able to save more than 250 hours of ambulance availability. Today the London Ambulance Service’s 40 pedalling paramedics attend nearly 17,000 calls a year, resolving more than half of these at the scene.

Details

Category:
Emergency Medicine
Object Number:
2016-379
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
type:
tubes
credit:
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Parts

airway tube

airway tube

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag, with a colour coded pink rimmed base, from a set of five, part of medical kit supplied to members of the London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Unit

Measurements:
overall: 33 mm x 180 mm x 71 mm, .01 kg
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
2016-379/1
type:
airway tube
Airway tube sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag, with a colour coded white rimmed base, from a set of five, part of medical kit supplied to members of the London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Unit

Measurements:
overall: 30 mm x 185 mm x 77 mm, .01 kg
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
2016-379/2
type:
airway tube
Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag, with a colour coded green rimmed base, from a set of five, part of medical kit supplied to members of the London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Unit

Measurements:
overall: 29 mm x 190 mm x 78 mm, .01 kg
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
2016-379/3
type:
airway tube
Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag, with a colour coded yellow rimmed base, from a set of five, part of medical equipment and tools supplied to members of the London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Unit

Measurements:
overall: 33 mm x 185 mm x 86 mm, .01 kg
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
2016-379/4
type:
airway tube
Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag

Airway tube, sealed in plastic bag, with a colour coded orange rimmed base, from a set of five, part of medical kit supplied to members of the London’s Ambulance Cycle Response Unit

Measurements:
overall: 30 mm x 187 mm x 74 mm, .01 kg
Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
2016-379/5
type:
airway tube