Laryngeal Mask Airway

A laryngeal mask airway, also known as a laryngeal mask, is a medical device that keeps a patient airway open during anaesthesia or while they are unconscious, and it is a type of supraglottic airway device. It is most commonly used by anaesthetists to channel oxygen or inhalational anaesthetic to the lungs during surgery, and in the pre-hospital setting by paramedics and emergency medical technicians for unconscious patients. A laryngeal mask is composed of an airway tube connected to an elliptical mask with a cuff, which is inserted through the patient mouth and down the windpipe and, once deployed, forms an airtight seal on top of the glottis, allowing a secure airway to be managed by a health care provider. It was invented by British anaesthesiologist Archibald Brain in the early 1980s, and the first commercial laryngeal mask was made available in the United Kingdom in December 1987; it remains widely used today worldwide, and a variety of specialised laryngeal masks now exist.