Stereotactic frame and introducer needles, Bristol, England, 1958
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Stereotactic (or stereotaxic) apparatus pinpoints areas of the brain. This is for targeting electrodes, delivering radiation or surgery. Investigations involving the brain, whether animal or human, must be precise and careful. This is so they do not unnecessarily damage the surrounding tissue. The patient is put under general anaesthesia. This stainless steel frame is then secured to the skull using the four pointed screws. Once it is in place and the plain is exposed, long needles are inserted into the parts of the brain being treated or tested. The apparatus was made and used at the Burden Neurological Institute in Bristol. The institute was founded by the Reverend Burden in 1939. It is an independently-funded research unit. It specialises in the human nervous system and human neurological disorders.
Object number:
2001-191
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: stereotaxic apparatus
Apparatus for a system of three-dimensional coordinates to locate the site to be operated on during brain surgery.
Glossary: neurosurgery
A surgical speciality that treats diseases and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system.