Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator with transformer container, United Kingdom, c. 1960

Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator with transformer container, United Kingdom, c. 1960 Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator with transformer container, United Kingdom, c. 1960 Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator with transformer container, United Kingdom, c. 1960

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator with separate transformer container. Circa 1960. Acquired from St Anne's Hospital, Bristol in 1997. Probably sole examples of this type of portable incubator still in existence. When more babies were born at home, portable incubators were frequently needed for journeys from home to hospital. They were also used to move babies to special care units from outlying hospitals. Many were designed to operate from ambulance batteries.

In Britain today, it is generally a mother's choice whether to opt for a home birth, birthing centre or hospital delivery. Until the second half of the 20th century, most babies were born at home. Portable incubators were frequently needed for journeys to hospital. They also moved babies to special care units from outlying hospitals. They were often designed to operate from an ambulance’s batteries.

This example of a portable incubator was acquired from St Anne's Hospital, Bristol in 1997. The fall in the numbers of home births since the 1960s means equipment such as this is rare. This may be the sole example of this type of portable incubator in existence.

Details

Category:
Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception
Object Number:
1997-1005
Materials:
metal, plastic, steel and rubber
Measurements:
overall: 410 mm x 720 mm x 390 mm,
type:
incubator
credit:
Ford, R

Parts

Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator

Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator. Circa 1960. Acquired from St Anne's Hospital, Bristol in 1997. Probably sole example of this type of portable incubator still in existence. When more babies were born at home, portable incubators were frequently needed for journeys from home to hospital. They were also used to move babies to special care units from outlying hospitals. Many were designed to operate from ambulance batteries.

More

In Britain today, it is generally a mother's choice whether to opt for a home birth, birthing centre or hospital delivery. Until the second half of the 20th century, most babies were born at home. Portable incubators were frequently needed for journeys to hospital. They also moved babies to special care units from outlying hospitals. They were often designed to operate from an ambulance’s batteries.

This example of a portable incubator was acquired from St Anne's Hospital, Bristol in 1997. The fall in the numbers of home births since the 1960s means equipment such as this is rare. This may be the sole example of this type of portable incubator in existence.

Measurements:
overall: 460 mm x 715 mm x 435 mm,
Materials:
metal , plastic , steel and rubber
Object Number:
1997-1005/1
type:
incubator
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transformer Container for Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator

Transformer Container for Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator

Separate transformer container for Oxygenaire MK3 portable incubator. Circa 1960. Acquired from St Anne's Hospital, Bristol in 1997. Probably sole examples of this type of portable incubator still in existence.

More

In Britain today, it is generally a mother's choice whether to opt for a home birth, birthing centre or hospital delivery. Until the second half of the 20th century, most babies were born at home. Portable incubators were frequently needed for journeys to hospital. They also moved babies to special care units from outlying hospitals. They were often designed to operate from an ambulance’s batteries.

This example of a portable incubator was acquired from St Anne's Hospital, Bristol in 1997. The fall in the numbers of home births since the 1960s means equipment such as this is rare. This may be the sole example of this type of portable incubator in existence.

Measurements:
overall: 215 mm 170 mm,
Materials:
metal , plastic , steel and rubber
Object Number:
1997-1005/2
type:
transformer container