Health Sciences · Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy
A metal optical instrument consisting of an arthroscope and a corresponding sheath.
The arthroscope has a black eyepiece with a flat spot along its circular perimeter. Near the eyepiece is a port for a fiber optic light source.
The arthroscope is inserted into a sheath that has an angled port into which a flexible tool can be inserted. The port has a rubber seal at its opening. Near the opening is a valve that will seal off the opening when not in use. The opening leads to a channel adjacent to that which holds the arthroscope such that the tip of the tool is observed through the arthroscope.
Accession Number: 2020.JAC.13
Alternative Name:
Primary Materials: Steel, Glass
Printed in white on the outer surface of the arthroscope eyepiece: “RICHARD WOLF G.M.B.H 48125 MADE IN GERMANY”
Printed in white on rim of the arthroscope eyepiece: “lumina”
Stamped in the body of the sheath: “8853.25”, “5”
Dimensions (cm): Height = 5, Width = 3.3, Length = 202
An arthroscope is an optical instrument for viewing the interior of a joint during a surgical operation. Its development made possible minimally invasive surgery for many knee operations. It significantly improved diagnoses and healing times for many knee conditions. Specialized arthroscopes may also be used on smaller joints.
This artifact has very light abrasions. Areas of the white lettering along the rim of the eyepiece have worn away.
Associated Instruments:
Richard Wolf GmbH, Knittlingen, Germany.
Date of Manufacture: 20th C., post 1950.
The Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy Collection was acquired by the University of Toronto from Dr. Jackson’s family on November 12th, 2020.
Richard Wolf GmbH., “History” Richard Wolf GmbH Company Website. https://web.archive.org/web/20220616020900/https://www.richard-wolf.com/en Accessed and archived, September 4, 2022.
Richard Wolf GmbH was founded in Knittlingen, Germany in 1947. Production of endoscopes began the following year.
Beginning in the 1970s, Wolf launched a number of subsidiaries in Germany and abroad, including Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corp. in Vernon Hills, Illinois, USA. [Richard Wolf GmbH., “History”]
- Donated to UTSIC