Born Before the Test Tube Baby

Test Tube Baby

Surgery in the Middle Ages

It’s hard to imagine that surgery wasn’t always the prestigious profession it is today. But, in medieval Europe, physicians didn’t practice surgery, because such things were handled by lesser men… or even by women. Often, the local barber took care of minor surgeries. He would travel from town to town, and you could stop in to get a haircut and shave, and at the same time get a tooth pulled or have a minor surgery.

In the 1500s, women were prohibited from becoming physicians but were allowed to practice surgery. It was an occupation they learned by apprenticeship, and they often used it to serve the poor. During the 1700s, as the profession advanced and higher learning was required, women were barred from practicing surgery, because they were also excluded from universities where the skills were taught. Thankfully, the world has changed!

Modern Medicine

Life science research through the centuries has led us to this age of modern medicine that we enjoy. Many brilliant minds working in unison have given us one breakthrough after another. In our own lifetime, our world has changed dramatically. It has been fascinating to watch the development of ultrasound imaging, CT scanning and MRIs, as well as genome mapping, laser technology, nanoparticles studies and stem cell research. In every realm, it appears that we are on the verge of a host of revolutionary innovations. This is what inspires us at WPI.

Born Before the Test Tube Baby

1n 1967, before the first “test tube baby” was born, before the rubella vaccine came into being, before the first human heart transplant, World Precision Instruments was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Our founder, Harry Fein, is a tinkerer completely enamored with modern life sciences. Early on, his focused was on the development of electrophysiology equipment. Over the years, he surrounded himself with scientist, engineers and knowledgeable people in a variety of fields to build a small company with a big heart for researchers.

With equipment to cover everything, like epithelial research, WPI offers over 5000 different items for a variety of scientific disciplines, as well as many standard laboratory supplies. The one thing that hasn’t changed through the years is WPI’s connection with researchers. Our passion is the advancement of science, and our goal is to support researchers, so they can have the state-of-the-art equipment that modern science requires.

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