Peter Hartigan of Darvall standing next to some equipment
Discover The History Of Veterinary Anaesthesia With Darvall At The WCVAA
1 year ago 
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Darvall’s vast collection of historical veterinary anaesthesia equipment will be on display at the 2023 World Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia (WCVAA) at the Sydney Masonic Centre, March 27 to 30.
Darvall, which is a major sponsor of the event, has especially restored equipment for the congress, some of which dates back four decades. Among the instruments is an original (UK) Boyle’s Anaesthesia Machine, manufactured between 1920 and 1950, and all three generations of CIG Midget Anaesthesia Machines manufactured in the UK and Australia, between 1930 and 1985.
“All of the CIG machines are a real sign of the times! You’ll see that they’re all small and portable because they were designed for veterinary anaesthetists to be able to carry around in the boot of their car when visiting private hospitals or dental practices, and machines as big as the Boyle’s Anaesthesia Machine were reliable and adaptable in their day, but people tend to go for much smaller machines now,” said Peter Hartigan, Anaesthetic Equipment Specialist at Darvall. “Most of the equipment collected by Darvall was manufactured in Australia and used for veterinary service at one point or another. Everything at the congress was collected because it was reliable and easy to customise to be used with more advanced technology.”
A range of historical large animal anaesthesia machines will also be on display, including a large animal vaporiser-in-circuit Stephen’s machine. It was donated by the family of Dr Alister Rodgers, from Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia, who contracted Hendra Virus from a sick horse and died a week later in September 2009.
“A lot of work has gone into restoring these machines for the congress, many of them likely haven’t been used for the last 50 years and we’ve had to source parts from all over the country,” said Dr Colin Dunlop, Darvall’s founder. “They serve as an important historical reference for veterinary anaesthesia, remembering how far the industry has come, and the medical advancements that made it possible.”
Dr Colin Dunlop is also convener of the WCVAA, where the company’s current range of cutting-edge anaesthetic monitoring equipment will be on display alongside an interactive demonstration site. It will showcase the Darvall Express, Darvall Lack and Stingray breathing systems, and the Darvall DVM vaporiser, which was unveiled last year. Practitioners in attendance will be able to test these innovative devices evaluating anaesthetic output, speed of delivery and CO2elimination.
The 4-day WCVAA is a congress held every 3 years and this year’s event in Sydney is the first post-Covid meeting. More than 400 veterinary anaesthesiologists, trainees and pain management experts from around the world are expected to attend. The major focus for 2023 is Chronic Pain and its management, showcasing the inclusion of Analgesia as a fundamental component of the science of Anaesthesia.
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