MEDT 01 -PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE I

Lesson 1: History of Medical Technology

Learning Outcomes:
After the completion of the chapter, the students will be able to:

1. Summarize the history of medical technology on a global context.

2. Discuss the history of medical technology in the United States.
3. Discuss the history of medical technology in the Philippines.
4. Identify important personalities that played a significant role in the progress of medical
technology profession.
5. Summarize the historical milestones in Medical Technology.

Introduction:
Medical technologists (also known as clinical laboratory scientists) are professionals
who work in the hospital laboratory, performing a wide range of tests. Doctors make many of
their decisions about diagnosis and treatment of disease based on laboratory test results. It is
the responsibility of the medical technologist to provide accurate and precise data. Because
they may hold life and death in their hands, the medical technologist must know when results
are incorrect and need to be rechecked.

Medical technologists perform Laboratory testing from simple pregnancy tests, to

monitoring antibiotic drug therapy, to complex testing that uncovers disease like diabetes, AIDS,
and cancer. They do all this testing by operating microscopes, complex electronic equipment,
computers, and precision instruments costing millions of dollars. Medical technology has
embedded itself in our culture and has been a positive and powerful force in the improvement of
life for millions of people.

What is Medical Technology?

- _____________: Application of the principles of natural, physical and biological
sciences to the performance of laboratory procedures which aid in the diagnosis and
treatment of disease.

- _____________: The branch of medicine concerned with the performance of laboratory

determinations and analyses used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and the
maintenance of health

- _____________: The health profession concerned with performing laboratory analyses

in view of obtaining information necessary in the diagnosis and treatment of disease as
well as in the maintenance of good health

- _____________: Auxiliary branch of laboratory medicine which deals with the

examination of tissue, secretion and excretion of the human body and body fluids by
various medical laboratory procedures which will aid the physician in the diagnosis
study and treatment of disease and in the promotion of health in general.

- Examination of various body fluids and other specimen to help physician in the
diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

History of Medical Technology in a Global Context:

- In the beginning of human kind, disease was viewed with mystery and was a
common occurrence that claimed many lives (Porter,1996)

- It was thought that disease was caused by the negative interaction between
environmental elements and body fluids (Reiser and Anbar, 1984)

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- Poor Health was considered a physical social or personal deficiency within patient or
environment in which the patient lived.

 Hippocrates:
- Father of _____________
- Formulated the ________________
- Together with_________________, they instigated a rudimentary and qualitative
assessment of disorder through measurement of body fluids (also called the
__________________) in relation to seasons
- These four humors were believed to be the source of diseases in ancient times
- The 4 humors as described by Hippocrates and Galen were attempt to qualitatively
measure a deficiency or excess of body fluids
(_________,______________,_______________,_______________)
- Hippocrates concluded that the appearance of bubbles, blood and pus in the urine
indicated ___________________ and ___________________.
- Galen describes diabetes as __________________and established the relationship
between fluid intake and urine volume
- ______________was widely practiced in medieval Europe
- By 900 AD, the first book detailing the characteristics of urine was written

 Medical Technology evolved slowly in response to high mortality rates associated to

Bubonic plague (Black Plague)

 Medicine and Medical Technology has become the antidote for illness and disease that
formerly resulted in the destruction of the entire societies.

Evolution of Medical Technology:

 11th Century
- Medical practitioner was not allowed to conduct physical examination of the
patient’s body
- Early Practice relied primarily on the patient’s descriptions of symptoms and their
personal observation. They rarely examined the patient physical body.

 18th Century:
- Mechanical techniques and cadaver dissection were used to provide a more
objective and accurate diagnosis
- While dissection of human cadavers and physician’s touch were extremely helpful
in providing a more objective and accurate treatment to illness, that is why most
general population during this period was reluctant to allow any doctors to
physically examine them

 19th Century: Machines were used for diagnosis. Physicians increasingly used
machines for diagnosis and therapies.
 ___________: John Hutchinson’s measures the vital capacity of the lung
 __________________: Jules Herisson’s; measures blood pressure

****NOTE: Chemistry also began to play an important role and was increasingly used in 18th
and 19th centuries to diagnose ailments such as
_______________,____________,______________,______________****

Technological Break-through in Medical Technology:

 Breakthrough in medical technology were:
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________
4. ____________________
- The following device allowed the physician to hear and see parts of the body
that had been previously been observed in cadavers.

 Stethoscope (1816)

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- First diagnostic medical breakthrough invented by Rene Laennec, a French,

Physician
- Device considered to be the first diagnostic technology.
- This device offered numerous solutions for acquiring information about the
lungs and heart beats of patient.

 Microscope (1840)
- first practical microscope was devised by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

 Ophthalmoscope 1850)
- first visual technology invented by Hermann von Helmholtz, a German
Scientists
- This was the first visual technology to view interior of the eye.
 Laryngoscope (1855) Devised by Manuel Garcia
 X-ray (1859)
- ________________a professor of physics in Bavaria, discovered by accident
a radiation that could penetrate solid objects of low density.
- He also found out that these phenomena could be viewed on fluorescent
screen and stored on a photographic film.
- The invention of x-ray allowed doctors to view the body without surgery
- Until World War II when it was widely used to diagnose pneumonia, pleurisy,
tuberculosis, and assists doctors to surgery
 1903: Devise the first Electrocardiograph by __________________and measured the
electrical changes that occur during the beating of the heart.
 1910: _____________Devised by Elizabeth Kenny in the treatment of polio
 1927: Drinker Respirator was introduced
 1939: Introduce the first heart-lung bypass machine by _______________
 1941: Cardiac catheterization and angiography procedure were made possible
through advances in material science.

History of Medical technology in the United States

- University of Pennsylvania’s William Pepper Laboratory of clinical Medicine was
opened.

- 1918: John Kolmer published “The Demand for and training of laboratory technicians”.
Pennsylvania enacted a law requiring all hospital and institutions to have a fully-
equipped laboratory fit for routine testing and to employ a full-time laboratory
technician

- 1920: The administrative units of Clinical Laboratories in large hospitals were directed
by a chief physician. Clinical laboratories consisted of 4-5 divisions including clinical
pathology, bacteriology, microbiology, serology and radiology.
- 1922: American Society for clinical Pathology was founded. Its objective is to
encourage the cooperation between physicians and clinical pathologists as well as
maintaining the status of clinical pathologists.

- 1950: Medical technologists in the United States sought professionals’ recognition

from the government of their educational qualifications through licensure laws.

History of Medical Technology in the Philippines:

 1578: The Franciscans built the San Lazaro Hospital for the _______ and ________.

 1596: Hospital de San Juan de Dios was founded for poor Spaniards.

 1611: The Dominicans founded the University of Santo Tomas

 1871: First faculties of pharmacy and medicine were established.

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 1887: The Laboratorio Municipal de Manila was established by the Spaniards

authorities for Manila was established by the Spanish authorities for laboratory
examinations of food, water, and clinical samples although was not adequate used in
the study of outbreaks.

 1898: After the fall of Manila, the Spanish Military Hospital was converted into first
Reserve hospital was converted into First Reserve Hospital by Lt. Col Henry Lipincott
who was a chief surgeon of the Division of the Pacific and Eight Army Corps.

 1901: Establishment of Bureau of Government Laboratories under the Philippines

Commission Act No.156
Paul Freer: The _________________

 1905: The Bureau of Science was established for medical officers who sought a career
in laboratory research.

 December 8, 1941: Japan attacked the whole Manila through aerial assault and
deployment of troops just ten hours after bombing Pearl Harbor.

 26th Medical Technology: It was established during World War II by the 6th Infantry
Division of the US army located at Quiricada St. Sta Cruz, Manila. It is now known as
Manila Public Health Laboratory

 Dr. Prudencia Sta. Ana together with Dr. Pio de Roda conducted a training program
for aspiring laboratory workers. She prepared a six-month formal syllabus for the
training program with certificate for the trainees upon completion.

 1954: Manila Sanitarium and Hospital (MSH) opened the first school of Medical
Technology in the Philippines, under the leadership of Mrs. Willa Hedrick , wife of Dr.
Elvin Hedrick
 1954: The Philippine Union College (PUC) in Baesa, Caloocan City (now Adventists of
the Philippines) absorbed MSH’s School of Medical Technology.

 At the end of World War II, Medical technology practice was introduced in the
Philippines by the 26th Medical infantry of the 6th US army. The US Army established
the first clinical laboratory in the Philippines at Quiricada St., Sta Cruz Manila,
where the Manila Public Health Laboratory is presently located. The laboratory offered
training programs to high school graduates as February, 1944.

 The U.S. army left the clinical laboratory in June 1943 and endorsed it to the National
Department of Health.

 Realizing the need for the clinical laboratory in the Philippines, ________________one
of the staffs of the clinical laboratory, formally organized the Manila Public Health
Laboratory from Mariano Icasiano who was then the Manila City Health Officer.
 In 1947, the training of high school graduates to work as a medical technician was
revived under “Dr. Pio De Roda” and Dr. Prudencia Sta. Ana, no definite period of
training was set and no certificates was given to trainees.

 In 1954, a six-month laboratory training with certificate upon completion was given to
the trainees. ________________ prepared the syllabus for the training program.

Inventions and Innovations in the Field of Medical Laboratory:

____________________ (1796): Discovered vaccination to establish immunity to
smallpox

____________________ (1835): Produced disease in worms by injection of organic

material-beginning of bacteriology

____________________ (1857): Successful produced immunity to rabies

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____________________ (1866): Enunciated his law of inherited characteristics from

studies of plants

____________________ (1870): Demonstrated that surgical infections are caused by

airborne organisms

____________________ (1877): Presented the first pictures of bacilli (anthrax), and

later tubercle bacilli

____________________ (1886): Describe phagocytes in blood and their role in fighting

infections.

____________________ (1886): Introduced steam sterilization in surgery

_____________________ (1902): Distinguished blood groups through the

development of the ABO blood group system.

_____________________ (1906): Developed immunologic tests for syphilis

_____________________ (1906): Discovered microorganisms whose range lies

between bacteria and viruses called _________________.

_____________________ (1929): Worked out the structure of hemoglobin

_____________________: developed poliomyelitis vaccine.

_____________________ (1973): Introduced the Westgard Rules for quality control in

the clinical laboratory

______________________(1980): Introduced the hepatitis B vaccines

______________________: Developed the polymerase Chain Reaction

______________________ (1998): Derived the first human stem cell line

References:

 Benitez, P. A., Dumaoal, O. S. R., Estrella, F. P., Mortel, F. A. & Nava, M. R. G.

(2019). Principles of medical laboratory science 1. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.
 Kristopaitis, T., Wantuch E. (2013). Introduction to the principles of laboratory
 medicine. MedEd Portal. Retrieved from:
 https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-
8265.9598.
 Seyoum, B. (2006). Introduction to medical laboratory technology. Haramaya
University. Retrieved from: https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/health/e
phti/library/lecture_notes/med_lab_tech_students/medicallabtechnology.pdf.

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