General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

3

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

silver metal

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

19.5 cm

Width

5.0 cm

Height

2.6 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Instruments

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Surgitool

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Pennsylvania

City

Pittsburgh

Context

Country

North America

State/Province

Unknown

Period

This type of instrument used c. 1960s +. This example may be unused.

Canada

Part of a large collection of medical artifacts, archival material & trade literature transferred to CSTM in 2002 from the former History of Medicine Museum. This instrument originally donated to the Toronto Hospital Archives in 1994, by Dr. W.G. Bigelow, Toronto, Ont. in 1994. Dr. Bigelow's donation included surgical instruments used by him, and instruments collected by Dr. Bigelow but used by other physicians. Wilfred G. Bigelow (b. 1913) has made numerous important contributions to medical science in general, and to the development of cardiac surgery and the treatment of heart disease in particular.

Function

To securely hold and safely position a Magovern pattern sutureless heart valve.

Technical

Instrument and procedure developed by Dr. George Magovern in 1961, while training at Allegheny General hospital in Pittsburgh. Magovern's valve could be clamped into place with small teeth embedded in it's perimeter, allowing surgeons to make the repair in two or three minutes, rather than 40 to 45. As a result, a procedure which previously had a 70- to 80- percent mortality rate was saving 19 of 20 patients.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

"Surgitool Inc. Pgh. Pa." and "#4" incised in instrument.

Missing

Appears complete.

Finish

Brushed silver metal finish.

Decoration

N/A