Bellows-type fluoroscope

Fluoroscope, bellows type, no maker's name marked, early 20th century

Fluoroscopes were first developed in the late 1890s. A fluoroscope allows physicians and surgeons to look directly inside the body in real time, without the need to develop an X-ray. It is used to conduct a fluoroscopy, a type of medical imaging exam that is used to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Fluoroscopy can be used to identify abnormalities in the body, detect foreign objects in the body, assess organ function and monitor the progress of treatments.

Fluoroscopes consist of an x-ray source and a fluorescent screen. When the X-ray source is positioned beneath a prone patient, the physician can see the structures within the body through the fluoroscope's screen. The screen is coated with a layer of fluorescent material, like calcium tungstate. Images of the body are displayed in real time.

This example is a Bellows-type fluoroscope. Bellows-type fluoroscopes have flexible, accordion-like bellows that house the x-ray tube. This design allows for a higher degree of adjustability and portability compared to earlier, fixed fluoroscopes that had a solid, non-adjustable body. The bellows allow the user to adjust the screen-to-eye distance. However, these types of fluoroscopes were bulkier and did have to be held with two hands.

During the First World War (1914-1918), fluoroscopes were utilised in field hospitals and casualty clearing stations to locate weapon fragments that were often blasted deep into wounds.