About David S. Sheridan
David S. Sheridan, 95, American inventor of disposable plastic endotracheal tube.
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Full Biography
|David S. Sheridan (10 July 1908, Brooklyn – 29 April 2004, Argyle, New York) was the inventor of the "disposable" plastic endotracheal tube.
David was the second of six sons of Adolf and Anna Sockolof, who immigrated to the United States from Russia. He changed his name from Sockolof to Sheridan in 1939. He attended school until 8th grade when he went to work with his father and brothers in the hardwood flooring business.[citation needed]
David Sheridan was the inventor of the modern "disposable" plastic endotracheal tube now used routinely in surgery. Previous to his invention, red rubber tubes were used, then sterilized, and re-used which often lead to the spread of disease and also a high risk of infection.[citation needed] Sheridan is thus credited with saving thousands of lives.
He held more than 50 medical instrument patents and is credited with inventing the modern disposable catheter in the 1940s. In his lifetime he started and sold four catheter companies and was dubbed the "Catheter King" by Forbes magazine in 1988.
Sheridan died in upstate New York at the age of 95. The Argyle community dedicated a memorial to David and his wife Janet in October 2009 for their many contributions to the community and for their years of public service. A portion of State Route 40 within Argyle Village was renamed Sheridan Street in David's honor.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_S._Sheridan
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from David S. Sheridan's archived record and the sources above.
1.Which location honors David S. Sheridan by having a portion of State Route 40 renamed after him?
- A.Albany City
- B.Brooklyn Village
- C.Argyle Villagecorrect
- D.New York City
A portion of State Route 40 within Argyle Village was renamed Sheridan Street in his honor.
Source: death and legacy
2.What was the title of the book written about David S. Sheridan in 1988?
- A.The Catheter King
- B.Medical Innovations of the Century
- C.From Brooklyn to Argyle
- D.Inventor: The Dave Sheridan Storycorrect
W. C. Heinz wrote the book titled Inventor: The Dave Sheridan Story in 1988.
Source: books section
3.How many sons were in the family of David S. Sheridan, including himself?
- A.Eight
- B.Five
- C.Four
- D.Sixcorrect
David S. Sheridan was the second of six sons born to Adolf and Anna Sockolof.
Source: early life and family section
4.In what city was David S. Sheridan born?
- A.Albany
- B.New York City
- C.Argyle
- D.Brooklyncorrect
David S. Sheridan was born in Brooklyn on 10 July 1908.
Source: biographical introduction
5.What was the birth surname of David S. Sheridan before he changed it in 1939?
- A.Sockolofcorrect
- B.Adolf
- C.Argyle
- D.Heinz
David S. Sheridan changed his surname from Sockolof to Sheridan in 1939.
Source: early life and family section
6.Until what grade level did David S. Sheridan attend school?
- A.8th gradecorrect
- B.12th grade
- C.6th grade
- D.10th grade
David S. Sheridan attended school until the 8th grade before joining his family business.
Source: education section
7.In what industry did David S. Sheridan work alongside his father and brothers after leaving school?
- A.Rubber production
- B.Public service
- C.Hardwood flooringcorrect
- D.Medical manufacturing
David S. Sheridan went to work with his father and brothers in the hardwood flooring business.
Source: early career section
8.What material was used for endotracheal tubes before David S. Sheridan invented the plastic version?
- A.Disposable glass
- B.Hardwood
- C.Red rubbercorrect
- D.Stainless steel
Previous to the invention of plastic tubes, red rubber tubes were used, which required sterilization.
Source: career achievements
9.What primary health benefit resulted from the invention of the disposable plastic endotracheal tube by David S. Sheridan?
- A.Lower cost of surgery
- B.Better material flexibility
- C.Reduced spread of disease and risk of infectioncorrect
- D.Improved surgical speed
The shift to disposable tubes prevented the spread of disease and high infection risks associated with re-used tubes.
Source: career achievements
10.Approximately how many medical instrument patents did David S. Sheridan hold?
- A.Fewer than 10
- B.Nearly 100
- C.Exactly 20
- D.More than 50correct
David S. Sheridan held more than 50 medical instrument patents during his career.
Source: career achievements
11.David S. Sheridan was credited with inventing what modern medical device in the 1940s?
- A.The orthopedic screw
- B.The surgical laser
- C.The reusable syringe
- D.The disposable cathetercorrect
David S. Sheridan is credited with inventing the modern disposable catheter in the 1940s.
Source: career achievements
12.Which publication dubbed David S. Sheridan the Catheter King in 1988?
- A.Forbes magazinecorrect
- B.The Albany Gazette
- C.Medical Journal Weekly
- D.The New York Times
David S. Sheridan was dubbed the Catheter King by Forbes magazine in 1988.
Source: career achievements
13.How many catheter companies did David S. Sheridan start and sell during his lifetime?
- A.Fourcorrect
- B.Two
- C.Six
- D.Eight
David S. Sheridan started and sold four catheter companies in his lifetime.
Source: career achievements
14.At what age did David S. Sheridan die?
- A.99
- B.101
- C.92
- D.95correct
David S. Sheridan died in upstate New York at the age of 95.
Source: death and legacy
15.In what year was a memorial dedicated to David S. Sheridan and his wife Janet?
- A.2006
- B.2004
- C.2011
- D.2009correct
The Argyle community dedicated a memorial to David and his wife Janet in October 2009.
Source: death and legacy
16.What is the name of the spouse of David S. Sheridan mentioned in the biography?
- A.Susan
- B.Anna
- C.Janetcorrect
- D.Marie
A memorial was dedicated to David S. Sheridan and his wife Janet for their community contributions.
Source: death and legacy
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