World leaders in respiratory care
We have been leading the way in - and changing the world of - respiratory healthcare since 1888. It was at this time Dr Allen DeVilbiss pioneered the creation of a global innovation that reshaped how we treat and manage respiratory illness, with the invention of the nebuliser. This became the foundation for a global company - Drive Medical as you know it today.
Innovations in respiratory care
A respiratory revolution
Dr Allen DeVilbiss practised in Toledo, Ohio. To improve the treatment of his patients suffering from lung and respiratory diseases, he sought a more effective method of administering medication. At the time, respiratory illnesses were treated with goose fat or Vaseline applied to the throat and nostrils. However, this method was ineffective. The breakthrough finally occurred in 1888, when in his backyard, in a shed, he developed a device for the direct treatment of respiratory conditions.
This was the first atomiser, made from a rubber ball, a piece of metal pipe and the base of a small oil can. He held the glass body containing the medication over a flame to melt the semi-solid substance and then used his invention to directly spray the affected areas with a mist. His ‘spray injection’ was so unique that he secured a patent for it and the rest is history.
DeVilbiss by Drive today
We're still innovating and working to improve the lives of respiratory care patients every day. Drive Medical is now a globally respected developer and manufacturer with it's DeVilbiss by Drive range of respiratory and oxygen therapy aids, helping millions of people worldwide to breathe more easily.
We have decades of expertise in the design, manufacture and supply of world-leading respiratory products for use in home oxygen therapy and treatments. We're proud to provide a comprehensive range of respiratory therapy products that support and enhance the quality of life for many people worldwide.