Ambu (company)
Encyclopedia
Ambu A/S is a Danish
company that develops, produces and markets diagnostic and life-supporting equipment and solutions to hospitals and rescue services.
Founded in Denmark in 1937 by German engineer Holger Hesse
, Ph.D. who had the ambition of building a business dedicated to product developments which would contribute to the saving of human lives.
The largest business areas are Respiratory Care, Cardiology
and Neurology
in which the most important products are ventilation products for artificial respiration and single-use electrodes for ECG tests and neurophysiological mappings.
designed in collaboration with Danish anesthetist Henning Ruben and marketed under the name 'Ambu' - was launched in 1956. The resuscitator was considered to be a milestone in emergency medical technique and quickly became established internationally. The name Ambu did as well, and was subsequently chosen as the new company name. Today, Ambu resuscitators
are in use all over the world in every emergency medical environment. The Ambu name has become an example of a Genericized trademark
, as all manual bag resuscitators in medical settings are now often referred to generically as "Ambu bags," even though Ambu brand resuscitator bags are still produced and other companies are not allowed to use the Ambu trademark.
When under general anaesthetic, patients typically cannot breathe unaided. The anaesthetists ensure that the airways are not obstructed and help the patient to breathe. Breathing is typically ensured by means of a laryngeal mask or through endotracheal intubation using an ET tube. With some patients, it is difficult to maintain breathing due to obesity, narrowings etc. of the neck and throat. In such cases, the anaesthetists can use an Ambu aScope as an alternative to the reusable scope.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
company that develops, produces and markets diagnostic and life-supporting equipment and solutions to hospitals and rescue services.
Founded in Denmark in 1937 by German engineer Holger Hesse
Holger Hesse
The German engineer Dr. Holger Hesse, and his partner, Danish anaesthetist, Henning Ruben invented in 1956, the world's first non-electric, self-inflating resuscitator known as the Ambu bag....
, Ph.D. who had the ambition of building a business dedicated to product developments which would contribute to the saving of human lives.
The largest business areas are Respiratory Care, Cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
and Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
in which the most important products are ventilation products for artificial respiration and single-use electrodes for ECG tests and neurophysiological mappings.
The Ambu Bag
The first of these - a self-inflating resuscitatorResuscitator
A resuscitator is a device using positive pressure to inflate the lungs of an unconscious person who is not breathing, in order to keep them oxygenated and alive. There are three basic types: a manual version consisting of a mask and a large hand-squeezed plastic bulb using ambient air, or with...
designed in collaboration with Danish anesthetist Henning Ruben and marketed under the name 'Ambu' - was launched in 1956. The resuscitator was considered to be a milestone in emergency medical technique and quickly became established internationally. The name Ambu did as well, and was subsequently chosen as the new company name. Today, Ambu resuscitators
Bag valve mask
A bag valve mask is a hand-held device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to a patient who is not breathing or who is breathing inadequately. The device is a normal part of a resuscitation kit for trained professionals, such as ambulance crew...
are in use all over the world in every emergency medical environment. The Ambu name has become an example of a Genericized trademark
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
, as all manual bag resuscitators in medical settings are now often referred to generically as "Ambu bags," even though Ambu brand resuscitator bags are still produced and other companies are not allowed to use the Ambu trademark.
The Ambu aScope
Ambu aScope is a single-use videoscope which is used by anaesthetists to visualise the airways of patients being anaesthetised.When under general anaesthetic, patients typically cannot breathe unaided. The anaesthetists ensure that the airways are not obstructed and help the patient to breathe. Breathing is typically ensured by means of a laryngeal mask or through endotracheal intubation using an ET tube. With some patients, it is difficult to maintain breathing due to obesity, narrowings etc. of the neck and throat. In such cases, the anaesthetists can use an Ambu aScope as an alternative to the reusable scope.