Bloxsom air lock information

The Bloxsom air lock was an incubator used in the treatment of respiratory distress among newly born infants in the 1950s. The device attempted to mimic the rhythm of uterine contractions, which were thought to have a role in stimulating fetal breathing. The device was developed by Dr. Allan Bloxsom, a pediatrician at St. Joseph Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. At its peak, the device was utilized in more than 700 hospitals.

In 1956, six years after its introduction, the Bloxsom air lock produced unfavorable results in a clinical trial. By that time physicians had also become leery of the link between high-concentration oxygen and eye disease in premature babies, and the device fell out of favor. The Bloxsom air lock is sometimes cited as an example of technology that gained wide acceptance following inadequate evaluation.