I just read through this post, http://edcforums.com/threads/emergency-airway-device.36799/page-2, and was going to comment, but it’s locked.

I just found this a few days ago, and it really caught my eye:

I watched Emergency One! religiously as a kid, and learned how to do a tracheotomy from the show (make an incision below the Adam’s apple, just above the sternum bone, separate the two white cords, insert tube for breathing).

My cousin is a paramedic, and is certified for every pre-hospital invasive procedure legal in Canada. I explained that procedure to him, and he confirmed its accuracy. But he also told me that the consequence of performing it is that the wound you create will never heal. He said a better way is to insert the tube device into the side of the Adam’s apple. That will heal later on. Obviously the device you use has to be very sharp. A pen body will not do, unless you make it slanted and razor sharp.

Unfortunately, the comments in the above mentioned thread about court and lawsuits are a legitimate concern, and in many instances it may be better to let a person die than save their life. I wonder if I would have the presence of mind to use this device if my throat were crushed. I suppose even die-hard EDCers would laugh at me for carrying this thing to be prepared, just as normal people laugh at me for carrying a Leatherman or a flashlight.