Dräger Julian

Drägerwerk AG was founded in Lubeck, Germany in 1889; the name is often anglicized as "Draeger". The company produced its first anesthesia apparatus in 1902, and grew to become one of the largest manufacturers of anesthesia equipment in the world.

Since the 1970s, when the first electronic prototypes were developed, anesthesia machines have incorporated an ever-increasing number of computer-controlled functions. At the same time, a large number of increasingly sophisticated stand-alone monitors of vital signs have been introduced. The creation of a new generation of all-in-one machines called anesthesia workstations was led by European manufacturers in the 1990s. In 1993, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its first Anesthesia Apparatus Checkout Recommendations; this outlined a procedure for verifying that the machine is ready for use.

Dräger's Julian Anesthesia Workstation was introduced in 1996. It combined electronic delivery of inhalation anesthetics, ventilation, monitoring of many patient vital signs including blood pressure, blood gases and respiration, as well as monitoring of equipment function, with prioritized alarms. Another of the Julian's safety features was an automated checkout that met the FDA recommendations.

The example of the Julian shown here was donated by Mr. James Yoder.