Laerdal

Laerdal was founded in 1940 by Åsmund S. Lærdal as a children's publishing and toy company. During the years as a toy developer, Lærdal learned about a synthetic plastic material, now known as PVC, that was suited for the casting of toys and dolls. The use of soft plastics revolutionized the toy industry and by 1960, more than 100 million toy cars, under the brand Tomte, had been sold in 100 countries. The Laerdal Anne doll was named "Toy of the Year" and became a bestseller throughout Europe. Due to this experience with soft plastics, The Norwegian Civil Defense called on Laerdal to design natural-looking imitation wounds for military training. In 1958, Laerdal was approached by Norwegian anesthesiologist Dr. Bjørn Lind after learning from Dr. Peter Safar about the need for a lifelike manikin to train the new concept of mouth-to-mouth ventilation. Together, Laerdal, Lind and Safar developed the world's first patient simulator, Resusci Anne, which was introduced in 1960.

The face of Resusci Anne was inspired by the death mask of an unidentified girl who was found drowned in the River Seine in Paris at the turn of the 19th century. Resusci Anne would become the predecessor of a series of manikins used to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The well-known Resusci Anne simulator has been updated to include variation with CPR metrics feedback technology, advanced skill training, and first aid. The newborn and pediatric simulators, Resusci Junior and Resusci Baby, also allow for CPR feedback technology. Laerdal's introduced its high-fidelity simulator, SimMan 3G, in 2009. Several iterations have followed that include Simman 3G Trauma, SimMan Essential, SimMan ALS, SimMan Vascular, SimMom, SimBaby and SimNewb. In 2019, Laerdal acquired the company B-Line Medical, a debriefing, assessment, and training management platform. After a partnership signed in 2018, Laerdal Medical now offers integrated simulators with B-Line Medical technology.