A History of the Pregnancy Test Kit

This looks at the history of the home pregnancy test and examines its place in our culture. Research that led to a sensitive, accurate pregnancy test was done by scientists in the Reproductive Research Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health.

The AMINCO-Bowman Spectrophotofluorometer

In the 1950s, the NIH's Dr. Robert Bowman developed a sensitive instrument called the spectrophotofluorometer, or “SPF”, that allowed scientists to use fluorescence as a way to identify and measure tiny amounts of substances in the body.  This exhibit explores the instrument and its use in scientific studies ranging from anti-depressant medication to AIDS research and the Human Genome Project.

Innovation and Invention: NIH and Prosthetic Heart ValvesImage Removed

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The valves in your heart open millions of times a year. A damaged valve limits the flow of blood and oxygen to your body and makes your lungs work harder. Like nearly 80,000 people in the United States each year, you may need surgery to replace a damaged valve.

This exhibition describes the discoveries that led to the heart-lung machine and open heart surgery, the number of experimental replacement valves that were invented and implanted, the role that NIH played in the 1960s and 70s in developing and testing these medical devices, and the public safety and regulatory responsibilities that were entrusted to the FDA.

These histories are more than timelines of material sciences, engineering, and technology—they are also very personal stories of dedicated healers searching for solutions to heart ailments.