Stereotactic Neurosurgery

User Collection Public

21 Items

Last Updated: 2025-01-08

The Duke University Medical Center Library Stereotactic Museum was established to preserve the stereotactic instruments that significantly impacted the field of neurosurgery. The collection is largely due to the generosity of Drs. Robert Heimberger, Hirotaro Narabayashi, George Austin, Sheng-Ling Wu, Robert Rand, and Robert Iacono, who donated their instruments. Eric Cosman, Professor Physics, MIT, donated an early Radionics radiofrequency (RF) lesion maker.

The museum was dedicated on September 24, 2003. Dr. Philip Gildenberg, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston), presented a fascinating lecture at the dedication on "The Birth of Human Stereotactic Surgery."

The museum would not have been possible without the support and enthusiasm of Patricia Thibodeau, Associate Dean of the Medical Center Library and Archives, and Suzanne Porter, Curator of the History of Medicine Collections. The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, The Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Larry Flynt gave much appreciated initial financial support to establish the museum.

The collection is now in storage with select items on display in the Richmond House Room, Level 1, Medical Center Library.

Parent Collections (1)

Library Artifact Collection

Total Works (21)

List of items in this collection
	Title	Date Created
	Rand Stereotactic Instrument for Yttrium Hypophysectomy Rand Stereotactic Instrument for Yttrium Hypophysectomy. Los Angeles: Trent H. Wells of the Mechanical Development Co., 1953. This instrument was... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["undated"]
	Talairach rectilinear stereotactic system. France. Talairach rectilinear stereotactic system. France 1949. This rectilinear orthogonial instrument consisted of a heavy frame and fixation pins. Two... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1949"]
	Rand-Urban stereotactic arc system. USA. Rand-Urban stereotactic arc system. USA. 1956. This stereotactic instrument was designed as an arc system in order to place the patient's head in... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1956"]
	Reichert arc system. Germany. Reichert arc system. Germany. 1951. This arc-radius system used Cartesian and polar coordinates. The instrument's large base allowed the brain... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1951"]
	Narabayashi arc system. Japan. Narabayashi arc system. Japan. 1950. The original instruments were built in 1950. The current model on display was used to treat Parkinson's disease. This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1950"]
	Rand and Malcolm radiolucent surgical head holder Rand and Malcolm radiolucent surgical head holder. USA. 1988. This radiolucent surgical head holder stabilized the patient while allowing direct... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1988"]
	Bertrand rectilinear system. Canada. 1953. Bertrand rectilinear system. Canada. 1953. Dr. Claude Bertrand, the French Canadian neurosurgeon, introduced his pneumotaxic guide in 1953 for the... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1953"]
	Austin and Lee burr hole system. USA. 1956. Austin and Lee burr hole system. USA. 1956. The basic design consisted of a device mounted on a burr hole in the skull. It allowed guidance at... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1956"]
	Heimberger arc system. USA. Heimberger arc system. USA. 1972. This arc system was made in 1972 by Dr. Robert Heimberger, professor of Neurosurgery at Indiana University... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1972"]
	Grass stimulator system Grass stimulator system. Quincy, MA: Grass Medical Instruments, 1970. 5 instruments. Built by Grass Medical Instruments of Quincy, Massachusetts,... This work also belongs to: Library Artifact Collection	["1970"]