Draeger's 1907 arrival in the U.S. coincided with introduction of first mobile short-term respirator. Users known as "Draegermen" rescued miners all over America.

TELFORD, Pa. -- Draeger Medical, Inc. celebrates 100 years of ventilation technology in October of this year. In 1907, the company delivered the Pulmotor, the first-ever mobile short-term respirator. 2007 also marks 100 years in the United Sates for Draegerwerk AG, Draeger Medical's parent corporation.

As part of its ongoing celebration of these milestones, Draeger Medical will showcase an original Pulmotor alongside of its latest respiratory care devices at the annual ASA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, October 13-17 and at the AARC Respiratory Congress in Orlando, FL, December 1-4, 2007.

Shortly after its release, the Pulmotor became widely used by mine rescue teams across America, Germany, England and Mexico and even by mountaineering rescue squads in England. Due to its use in the harsh environments of underground mines and in high altitudes, the reputation of the breathing device quickly grew. The first users of the ventilation products were soon dubbed "Draegermen;" and ever since, the term has been synonymous with mine rescue teams worldwide.

The use of Draeger breathing apparatus quickly spread to other emergency services fields. For example, several fire departments in the U.S. took notice of the equipment's dependable breathing protection against smoke and fumes. From 1913-1918, the New York and Pittsburgh city fire departments began equipping their firefighters with the respirators.

Today, both cities are still using Draeger self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). An elite group of NYFD firefighters use the Drager BG-4 four-hour breathing apparatus for incident response, subway/tunnel rescues and high-rise building fires; and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire has been using the Draeger AirBoss([R]) SCBAs for ten years without performance failure.

"We have been committed to providing our clients with the most advanced respiratory care technologies for 100 years. Our history of innovation in the field continues and enables us to remain leaders in the development of ventilation and critical care technology far into the future," said Helge Hussy, member of Draeger's Global Executive Management Team.

Recent and continuing advances in the quality and efficiency of its products are evidence that Draeger has continued to build upon its impressive heritage of breathing innovation. For example, the new SmartCare([R])/PS option for the EvitaXL ventilator is an automated knowledge-based ventilation system developed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the weaning process.

One of the company's most recent innovations was the introduction of the Oxylog([R]) 3000 emergency transport ventilator, which brings ICU-level performance to emergency and critical-care patient transport.

In the U.S., Draeger Medical, Inc. also recently released the Carina[TM]Home home care ventilator. This system offers clinical-standard ventilation control for patients in the comfort of their own homes. With products such as these, the company is laying the foundation for another 100 years of life-saving success.

Key Draeger Breathing Milestones since 1904:

1902 - First anesthesia machine

Roth-Draeger tames the anesthesia process with controlled mix of oxygen and anesthetics.

1904 - First Innovation in Breathing

Bernhard Draeger corrected the values for human breathing requirements and carbon dioxide requirements. The 1904/09 model Draeger respiratory protective device set standards in the field of mine rescue.

1907 - First Mobile Short-Term Respirator

In October 1907, company founder, Johann Heinrich Draeger, was awarded a patent for the Pulmotor, the first mobile short-term respirator. This marked the birth of ventilation technology development at Draeger.

1907 - First Draeger Company on U.S. Soil

Shortly after the introduction of the Pulmotor, the first Draeger company in the U.S. was founded at 11 Broadway in New York City. Soon thereafter, the company moved to Pittsburgh, PA and was renamed Draeger Oxygen Apparatus Company.

1907 - Birth of Draegermen

In the U.S., the Pulmotor respirator was purchased to equip rescue teams of mining companies and fire departments, hence Draeger's legendary reputation for breathing apparatus in the U.S. As a result, mine rescuers equipped with Draeger apparatus became known as Draegermen.

1913 - World altitude record for airplanes (6,120 m) set with Draeger high-altitude breathing apparatus

1947 - Iron lung prototype to fight polio was developed

1950 - Model G was the first integrated anesthesia and ventilation apparatus

1952 - Poliomat, the first long-term ventilator

1959 - Assistor 640, the first pressure controlled ventilator

1989 - Babylog[TM] is our the first neonatal ventilator

2001 - Savina[TM] is our first mobile ventilation system

2006 - SmartCare/PS, the first automated knowledge-based ventilation weaning system launched in the U.S.

2007 - Oxylog 3000 ICU-level performance emergency transport ventilator launched in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.draeger.com to download or read "The History of Draeger" brochure.

About Draeger

Draegerwerk AG is an international leader in the medical and safety technology markets with 2006 sales of EU1,801.3 million. Founded in 1889, Draeger employs nearly 10,000 people in more than 190 countries, with more than 50 percent outside of Germany. The Draeger Medical division offers products, services and integrated system solutions throughout the patient care process - Emergency Care, Perioperative Care, Critical Care, Perinatal Care and Home Care. The Draeger Safety division's portfolio covers products and system solutions for holistic hazard management - gas detection, personal and property protection products including a wide variety of services. Draeger's key customers are from the hospital sector, on the one hand, and industry, mining, fire fighting, municipal utilities, and police, on the other. For more information, visit www.draeger.com.