ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 17 -- United States Patent no. 12,575,723, issued on March 17.
"Lighted bougie" was invented by John Loewen (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Frank LoVecchio (Phoenix) and Keith A. Cardinal (Phoenix).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A bougie having the dimensions of a standard bougie used widely by first responders is further configured to emit tight with an intensity that transilmminates a patient's neck; thus the position of the bougie is visible to the first responder when placed in the patient's airway. The bougie includes a light source, which may be a luminescent chemical combination contained in a chamber of the bougie. The luminescent chemical may have a high intensity and a s...