When combat and civilian mishaps leave victims unable to breathe, medics and EMC personnel have to intubate the airway to prevent suffocation. It's easy enough in a well lit OR, but just try snaking a tube through the vocal cords and into the trachia without visual cues and the simple procedure becomes quite tricky.

One solution comes in a battery-operated laryngoscope that uses a hardened nonglare screen that produces a clear view regardless of environment.

“The digital display provides a clear image in all environments and conditions,” says Jack Pacey, a physician and President of Verathon Medical Canada ULC, Burnaby, B.C. (verathon.com). Clarex Non-Glare materials, from Astra Products, Baldwin, N.Y., (astra.com) help give the GlideScope the clearer view. “Image quality is a significant challenge for small screens. Displays must have high brightness, contrast, accurate color transmission, and good uniformity. A nonglare material that efficiently transmits light and prevents reflection improves the viewing area,” says Pacey.