If you thought intubating small rodents was too difficult, the BioLITE Intubation Illumination System is for you. The BioLITE system provides better anatomical visualization and combines several tools into one reducing the intubation time making the intubation process fast and easy.
The BioLITE System consists of a family of products: Fiber Optic Illuminator (FO-Light), Fiber Optic Stylets (FOS), Endotracheal Tubes (ETT), and Lung Inflation Bulbs (LIB) packaged in a variety of kits to meet the individual needs of a variety of research interests.
Unlike other flashlight based fiber optic illuminators, the FO-Light houses a patent pending optical system that provides highly efficient light coupling into small core fiber optics resulting in intense illumination. Without the optical system, the intensity of the light output is insufficient to visualize anatomical features, which is precisely the reason why other flashlight based fiber optic illuminators are not compatible with small core fiber optics.
By using a small core fiber optic as both the stylet and guide wire, the FOS provides enough rigidity for applying mechanical force while remaining flexible enough to traverse convoluted paths. Also since light can be delivered through the stylet/guide wire, you are able to illuminate the discrete places in the oropharynx directly where you need it.
As accessories to the illuminator and stylets, the endotracheal tubes and lung inflation bulbs have specific qualities and provide feedback that make them essential to any intubation procedure. The Endotracheal Tubes are urethane based IV catheters that are much softer and more flexible than the PTFE based catheters which minimizes the trauma associated with the intubation. The lung inflation bulbs provide a means for verifying correct intubation through direct visualization of chest distention, which is more reliable than observing mirror fogging or abdominal breathing.The BioLITE System is available in the following kits: a Large Rat Kit (200+ grams, LR-Kit), a Small Rat Kit (less than 200 grams, SR-Kit), and a Mouse Kit (10+ grams, MI-Kit). Each kit contains a fiber optic illuminator (FO-Light), the appropriate size fiber optic stylet (FOS-xxx), a 5 pack of the appropriate size endotracheal tubes (ETT-xx-05), and a 3 pack of lung inflation bulbs (LIB-03), all the necessary equipment to perform small rodent intubations fast, easy, and relatively painless.
The system is also offered in a Complete Kit (CO-Kit) that includes all the BioLITE System products for the mouse and both sizes of rat.
Though the BioLITE System was initially created for intubation, it remains a highly efficient small core fiber optic illumination system that can essentially be used in any application that requires intense illumination of a small space in a tortuous location. For those interested in alternate applications or have no need for the intubation accessories, a Stylets Kit (FO-Kit) that includes a mouse fiber optic stylet (FOS-400, 400µm core diameter), a small rat fiber optic stylet (FOS-600), a big rat fiber optic stylet (FOS-800), and a fiber optic illuminator (FO-Light).
