Intestinal biopsy tube, London, England, 1954-1958

Made:
1954-1958 in London
maker:
Genito-Urinary Manufacturing Company Limited
Intestinal biopsy tube made by G.U. Manufacturing Co Intestinal biopsy tube made by G.U. Manufacturing Co

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Intestinal biopsy tube made by G.U. Manufacturing Co
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Intestinal biopsy tube made by G.U. Manufacturing Co
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Intestinal biopsy tube plastic, metal and rubber,. made by G.U. Manufacturing Co., London, 1954-1958

A biopsy is a procedure where a small piece of tissue is removed from the body for study under a microscope. A small knife in a tiny capsule at the end of the tube, which measures over a metre long, is passed down into the digestive tract. X-rays are used to locate the area to be sampled. When suction is applied a small piece of the intestine is snipped off and the tube removed. The tissue is sent to a laboratory for further tests. The process allows an investigation of the body, without the need for a major surgical operation.

Made by the Genito-Urinary Manufacturing Company, this is one of the first intestinal biopsy tubes ever made. Margot Shiner (1923-1993), a surgeon and paediatrician in the early 1950s, developed the technique of intestinal biopsy and used this very tube.

Details

Category:
Clinical Diagnosis
Object Number:
1979-768
Materials:
metal, rubber and plastic
Measurements:
overall: 340 mm x 330 mm, 3 mm, .09 kg
type:
intestinal biopsy tube
credit:
Central Middlesex Hospital