Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

TRACHEOTOME SET

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1988

Materials

CLOTH, METAL

No. Pieces

6

Height

16.2

Length

57.5

Width

0.5

Description

1: GREEN FABRIC CASE, EDGED WITH BEIGE FABRIC. DIVIDED INTO THREE POUCHES SEWED IN WITH BEIGE THREAD. TWO BEIGE FABRIC STRAPS ATTACHED TO ROLL AND TIE THE FABRIC CASE. A WHITE LABEL IS SEWN ON, READING IN GREEN TEXT “ SIERRA – SHELDEN”, “TRACHEOTOME CATALOG NO. 175-00”, AND “SIERRA ENGINEERING CO. SIERRA MADRE. CALIF.” 2: THE OBTURATOR THAT MATCHES THE LARGE TRACEOSTOMY TUBE. CURVED METAL WIRE WITH A METAL BOBBLE AT ONE END AND A METAL HANDLE AT THE OTHER END WITH A “7” ETCHED ON THE END. L: 11 CM, D: 1.5 CM 3: THE OBTURATOR THAT MATCHES THE SMALLER TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE. CURVED METAL WIRE WITH A METAL BOBBLE AT ONE END THAT EXPANDS INTO A SHARP CURVE BLADE WITH A BLUNTED TIP. A SMALL CIRCULAR BEAD OF METAL SITS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WIRE AND AT THE OTHER END OF THE WIRE IS A CYLINDRICAL HANDLE WITH KNURLING TEXTURE. THE END OF THE HANDLE READS “ SIERRA ENG. CO CAT. NO. 287-00” AND “PATENT PEND”. METAL BOBBLE IS MISSING SOME OF ITS PATINA. L: 11 CM, D: 1.6 CM 4: A HOLLOW NEEDLE HEAD WITH A SMALL HANDLE WITH KNURLING TEXTURE. ETCHED INTO THE END OF THE HANDLE THE TEXT READS “287 SIERRA”. H: 6.1 CM, D: 1.7 CM 5: THE LARGE TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE MADE UP OF THREE PIECES; THE OUTER CANNULA, THE INNER CANNULA AND THE FLANGE. THE CANNULA’S SIT TOGETHER, THE INNER LOCKED IN WITH A ROTATING LATCH, BOTH CURVED AND HOLLOW TUBES. THE FLANGE SITS AT THE END OF THE CANNULAS, A METAL PLATE WITH TWO RECTANGULAR HOLES AND CURVING LIP. H: 2.5 CM, L: 10 CM, W: 4 CM 6: THE SMALL TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE MADE UP OF TWO PIECES; THE CANNULA, AND THE FLANGE. THE CANNULA IS A CURVED HOLLOW TUBE ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE FLANGE, A METAL PLATE WITH TWO RECTANGULAR HOLES AND A CURVING LIP. H: 2.5 CM, L: 6.5 CM, W: 3.8 CM

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

HEALTH SERVICES

History

UPON DONATION TO THE MUSEUM, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ASKED MEMBERS OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING (GSN) ALUMNAE TO PROVIDE WRITTEN ANSWERS ON QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO EACH ARTIFACT DONATED IN THE COLLECTION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS COME FROM THOSE RESPONSES CORRESPONDING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ARTIFACT. THIS IS A TRACHEOTOMY SET THAT WAS USED IN DURING SURGERY, IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, AND IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM. BOTH DOCTORS AND NURSES WOULD HAVE USED THIS ARTIFACT DURING THE PROCEDURE OF TRACHEOTOMY, WHICH CREATES A DIRECT AIRWAY IN THROUGH AN INCISION IN THE TRACHEA (WINDPIPE). WHEN ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF THE ARTIFACT’S IMPORTANCE, THE INDIVIDUAL WRITING THE HISTORY STATED, “TRACHEOTOMIES HAVE BEEN LIFE-SAVERS EVEN TO THIS DAY.” THIS ARTIFACT IS AMONG A COLLECTION DONATED NEAR THE END OF 2014, BEING THE SECOND WAVE OF GSN ARTIFACTS ACQUIRED BY THE MUSEUM THAT YEAR. WITH THE FIRST WAVE OF GSN ARTIFACTS COLLECTED IN SUMMER 2014, MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE PAST ARCHIVISTS OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING COLLECTION, SHIRLEY HIGA, ELAINE HAMILTON, AND SUE KYLLO, ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GSN ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION AND THE HISTORY OF ARTIFACTS DONATED. FOR THAT INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO P20140006001. PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P20140049007

Acquisition Date

2014-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail