By Jeff Feldman, MD
 Narkomed Anesthesia System. Photo used with permission. © Wood Library-Museum. |
Narkomed Anesthesia System. Photo used with permission. © Wood Library-Museum. |
Peter Schreiber, founder of North American Draeger, passed away recently. Mr. Schreiber built the company from a small operation in his garage in Pennsylvania to a manufacturer of high-quality “Narkomed” anesthesia delivery systems sold all over the world. His contributions to patient safety are significant, and stem from his thoughtful approach to safe designs that he built into the Narkomed line but also published and shared freely.
Peter Schreiber led a remarkable life with an outsized impact on the world. He grew up in Dresden, Germany and was imprisoned in work camps by the Soviets for five years after World War II. After his release, he completed an engineering degree and went to work for Draeger in Lübeck, Germany working on anesthesia vaporizer designs. In 1966, he emigrated to the United States and started North American Draeger, an independent company initially focusing on anesthesia vaporizer service and design. Within a few years, he launched his first anesthesia delivery system, initially to the veterinary market and then for the broad anesthesia market. The Narkomed line of anesthesia machines evolved progressively over many years, steadily improving patient safety with innovative alarm and monitoring technology. North American Draeger was acquired in 1995 by Draeger Medical in Luebeck, Germany where Mr. Schreiber had started his career.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Schreiber on more than one occasion. He was a humble man always eager to share knowledge and learn new concepts. After spending the early years of his life surrounded by war and devastation, he was proud to have devoted his time and energy to saving lives.
The latter part of the 20th century was a time of profound innovation in anesthesia delivery systems. The level of safety that we enjoy today is a testament to the work of innovators like Mr. Schreiber.
