How to Run an Intubation Drill on the BIX-J50 Training Head

An intubation head earns its place by reproducing three things: a mouth that accepts a laryngoscope, an airway that resists the tube realistically, and a neck soft enough to practise cricoid pressure. The BIX-J50 covers all three, at a listed price of US$441.88, which puts it in the range where a department buys two rather than one.

Quick facts

Why drill the airway on a head, not a full body

Airway skill is hand skill. A head-only trainer puts the trainee at the correct working distance and forces them to manage the laryngoscope with the left hand while the right hand controls the tube — the same economy of movement required at the bedside. Full-body manikins are useful for team scenarios, but they add positioning steps that dilute repetition in a short drill.

Deliberate practice research is clear that repetition with specific feedback, not volume of exposure, drives skill acquisition [1]. A head-only unit lets you run six to eight tube passes per trainee in 25 minutes, which is the repetition count that matters.

The four stations this head supports

1. Oral intubation. The mouth, tongue and airway are anatomically proportioned, so blade placement and tube direction are practised against the structures that actually obstruct a view. Trainees should verbalise the grade of view they see before passing the tube.

2. Nasal intubation. Nasal passage and pharyngeal route are included. This is the station most often skipped in short courses, and the one where blind technique fails fastest without practice.

3. Suction. Oral and nasal suction let you teach the sequence that follows a failed or soiled airway — pre-oxygenate, suction, re-attempt.

4. Cricoid pressure. The soft neck with cricoid cartilage allows the classic Sellick maneuver, which improves the view of the vocal cords during rapid sequence induction. Difficult Airway Society guidance continues to treat cricoid pressure as a manoeuvre that must be applied correctly, with release if the view worsens [2] — a point best taught by feel, on a neck that responds.

Auscultation as a confirmation skill

The head includes respiratory sound auscultation. Use it to teach confirmation properly: five-point auscultation, observation of chest rise, and the discipline of not trusting a single sign. Trainees who learn confirmation on a model that can simulate an oesophageal placement are far less likely to accept a wrong tube in practice.

The stakes are documented. The Fourth National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society (NAP4) found that a large share of major airway complications involved problems with technique or judgement at intubation rather than equipment failure [3]. That is the argument for drilling the pass itself — blade placement, cuff check, confirmation — until it is a routine rather than a decision.

A 25-minute drill plan

1. 4 minutes — equipment check. Blade, handle, tube, cuff syringe, suction, stylet. Each trainee assembles and states the tube size.
2. 6 minutes — oral pass. Three attempts per trainee; instructor scores view grade, tube direction, cuff inflation.
3. 5 minutes — Sellick maneuver. Assistant applies cricoid pressure; trainee reports whether the view improved and requests release when it does not.
4. 5 minutes — nasal pass and suction. Two attempts each, with suction sequence.
5. 5 minutes — confirmation and debrief. Auscultation, chest rise, fixation, and one improvement point per trainee.

Buying notes

1. Check tube compatibility. Confirm the airway accepts the tube sizes you stock (7.0–8.0 mm for adult teaching).
2. Ask about replacement airways. Repeated tube passes wear the airway; price the insert before ordering a cohort-sized batch.
3. Confirm the auscultation interface. Ask whether the sound unit is built in or supplied separately.
4. Plan storage. A head unit needs a case if it travels between sites; ask for dimensions and weight.

FAQ

Q1. Is the BIX-J50 a full-body manikin? No — it is an intubation head, designed for airway procedures only. Team scenarios need a full-body simulator.

Q2. Does it support cricoid pressure? Yes. The neck is soft and includes cricoid cartilage, allowing the Sellick maneuver to be practised with an assistant.

Q3. Can trainees practise nasal intubation? Yes, both oral and nasal routes are supported, along with oral and nasal suction.

Q4. What is the price and minimum order? The listed price is US$441.88; MOQ is flexible. Email for the current price list and volume tiers.

Q5. What consumables are needed? Airway lubricant and replacement airway inserts are the usual wear items. Ask for a cost-per-100-intubations estimate with the quotation.

Q6. How do we order or request a sample? Email adaanatomy@adaanatomy.com with quantity, city and course type for the price list, carton data and lead time.

References

1. McGaghie WC, Issenberg SB, Cohen ER, et al. Does simulation-based medical education with deliberate practice yield better results than traditional clinical education? Acad Med. 2011;86(6):706-711. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e318217e119
2. Frerk C, Mitchell VS, McNarry AF, et al. Difficult Airway Society 2015 guidelines for management of unanticipated difficult intubation in adults. Br J Anaesth. 2015;115(6):827-848. doi:10.1093/bja/aev371
3. Cook TM, Woodall N, Frerk C. Major complications of airway management in the UK: results of the Fourth National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society. Part 1: Anaesthesia. Br J Anaesth. 2011;106(5):617-631. doi:10.1093/bja/aer058

Contact

For the specification sheet, airway insert pricing and a department quotation: adaanatomy@adaanatomy.com. Production follows ISO 45001 management practice; CE documentation is available for EU procurement.