Skip to content

Welcome to Fiberoptics

NextGen Learning To Elevate Your Airway Practice

Overview

Developed by our PAC design team, this integrated learning space covers all the critical concepts, skills, and tools you need to deploy fiberoptic techniques into your clinical practice. Our experts will teach you when and how to use fiberoptic in real-world care and share all the tricks of the trade they rely on in their practice. If the ability to confidently bring fiberoptic skills to the bedside sounds good, you’re in the right place.

Meet the Director

Ralph Slepian MD

Dr. Ralph Slepian is one of the world’s experts in fiberoptic intubation for difficult airways. He is a professor of Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and an Attending Anesthesiologist with the Department of Anesthesiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is also a dedicated airway educator.

An Integrated System

To Build Durable Skills

PAC is an integrated learning system, not a single course. Our digital content supports multiple learning styles, on your schedule with the goal of building durable skills.

Online Courses
pop-up PAcscapes
In-person Events

The result is continuity—from online learning, to hands-on practice, to real-world performance. PAC gives you the tools, structure, and flexibility required for next-generation airway training.

Start Course

IntroductionThe TimelineWhat’s Next
Available Content

Learning Objectives

A Fiberoptic Timeline

Introduction of Fiberoptic Technology (1950s-1960s):

  • 1950s:
    • Physicist Harold Hopkins and engineer Narinder Kapany invented the fiberoptic bundle, which consisted of glass or plastic fibers capable of transmitting light and images through flexible tubes. This revolutionized medical imaging.
  • 1960s:
    • Fiberoptic bronchoscopy emerged as a diagnostic tool in pulmonary medicine. The ability to visualize the airway without a rigid scope opened up possibilities for more flexible and less invasive procedures.
    • Shigeto Ikeda, a Japanese thoracic surgeon, developed the first practical fiberoptic bronchoscope in 1966, marking a turning point in airway visualization.

Adoption in Airway Management (1970s-1980s):

  • 1970s:
    • Anesthesiologists began using fiberoptic bronchoscopes for intubation in patients with difficult airways.
    • Techniques for awake fiberoptic intubation were developed, utilizing local anesthesia and sedation to keep patients cooperative during the procedure.
  • 1980s:
    • Dedicated fiberoptic intubation scopes were introduced and optimized to guide endotracheal tubes into the airway.
    • The procedure gained popularity in cases of anticipated difficult airway management, particularly in patients with trauma, tumors, or craniofacial abnormalities.

Modern Era (1990s-Present):

  • 1990s:
    • Advances in fiberoptic materials and miniaturization improved bronchoscopes’ durability, flexibility, and image quality.
    • Training programs and simulation tools for fiberoptic intubation became more widespread, allowing practitioners to develop the necessary skills.
  • 2000s:
    • The integration of video technology further enhanced the visualization capabilities, allowing real-time image projection onto screens for better teamwork and teaching.
    • Portable and single-use fiberoptic scopes became available, increasing accessibility in emergency and remote settings.
  • 2010s-Present:
    • Continuous innovations in fiberoptics, such as high-definition imaging and enhanced ergonomics, have made the procedure more efficient and user-friendly.
    • Disposable bronchoscopes and devices that integrate seamlessly with video laryngoscope devices see the emergence of fiberoptic-assisted video laryngoscopy.
    • Fiberoptic intubation is now a cornerstone of airway management guidelines for difficult airway scenarios, alongside video laryngoscopy.

What’s Next

Find Or Click Me

Nice work—you’re through this section! To keep going, scan the QR code on the physical poster at the next station in our pop-up training space to access the next set of digital content. Prefer to stay online? Just click the poster image here to continue your journey.

meet the creators

Each learning space takes a collaborative and design forward approach. We draw on the power of the creative arts to inspire and tell stories, on the sciences to improve our clinical practice, and on the diverse perspectives of our combined experience to deepen our knowledge. Each unique creation has one goal: to elevate your emergency airway practice.

Ralph Slepian MD

Dr. Ralph Slepian is a Professor of Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and an Attending Anesthesiologist with the Department of Anesthesiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Rohan Panchamia MD

Rohan Panchamia MD is an Anesthesiologist & Critical Care physician with an interest in difficult airway and ultrasound. He is the Director of the Anatomically Difficult Airway learning space at PAC.

JOnathan St George MD

Jonathan St. George MD is an Emergency Physician. He is the creator and director of the Protected Airway Collaborative.

digital Home
Back to the Top
Follow Us