title: Revolutionary inventions in the 20th century. The history of endoscopy.
abstract: Today, the wide variety of modern endoscopes allows routine diagnostic examinations. Precise observation is possible because of excellent optical and light transmission. Surgery can be performed while viewing a television screen, and video documentation and intraoperative photography are possible with outstanding quality. The invention of a rod-lens optical system by Harold H. Hopkins, PhD, in 1959 and the addition of fiberoptic light transmission by Karl Storz in 1960 marked a breakthrough in modern endoscopy. This article summarizes an interview with the instrument maker, Karl Storz.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simmen
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Stool
mesh_terms: D019723:Endoscopes / Q000266:history*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000266:history; D004739:England; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century