| Description | This set of four rigid bronchoscopes is made of brass and metal. Each instrument features double hollow tubes fused together, with the largest having fenestrations near the tip. The opposite end includes a metal component with locking mechanisms for attaching the light lead. Inside the narrower tube, there is a rod with a push-fit metal tip that fits into the bronchoscope's end, culminating in a light bulb. The fenestrations were used for ventilation, suction, or instrumentation.
Each metal head is engraved with "Lonworth Made in England" and a number. The smallest is marked "No. 1," the second "2" and "4," the third "4," while the largest lacks a number. Bronchoscopes 1 and 4 do not have a light at the end of the rod, and all show signs of discolouration and corrosion.
These non-flexible bronchoscopes required general anesthesia or deep sedation for insertion and were likely used in pulmonology, thoracic surgery, or emergency airway management. Rigid bronchoscopy was first described by German physician Gustav Killian. American physician Chevalier Jackson, who is credited with inventing the modern rigid bronchoscope, dedicated his 1907 book to Killian. In 1904, Jackson developed an endoscope with a small light at the distal end. |