Evening star., 1942-06-20
New Robot Finger
Helps Surgeons Find
Bomb Fragments =
electromagnetic Device
Points to Steel and Other
MetoIs Buried in Flesh
BY HOWARD w. BLAKEsLEE,

by HOWARD w. BLAkESLEE,
Wide World Science Editor.
NEW YORK, June 20-Probably
few American soldiers have heard
Of Police Ofncer Emil Vyslcocil. but
those hit by bomb or shell frag-
ments will be more likely pain-free
after this war because OF what hap
pened to him this week at Post
Graduate Hospital here.
From his ankle was taken a frag-
ment of metal, incredibly small,
hardly thicker than paper, about
the shape of a corner torn of a
postage stamp.
The removal was due to robot
finger, called the Locator, a new
surgical aid which points unerringly
to the location in living tissue OF
buried metal-not merely steel, but
any metal.
Omcer Vyslcocil, one Of the officers
injured In the Worlds Fair bomb
explosion three summers ago. had
an experience typical of war wounds.
For three years since the explosion
his right leg has panied.
Located BY X-ray.
But there was no serious injury
to that leg. Nothing was outwardly
the matter, nor anything that ordi-
nary diagnosis could blame. In the
explosion he had received a tiny
cut above the right ankle. X-rays
showed a minute fragment of metal
buried rather deeply near the To-
cation OF this scratch. 1t was hardly
large enough to account for pain.
It's removal seemed all but impos-
sible.
Removing bits of metal. even
when fair size. Is one Of the most
bafiling surgical jobs. Hours Of
search may be required even after
X-rays have located the fragment.
Officer Vyslcocil was taken to
Post Graduate Hospital and the
robot finger set up alongside his
operating table.
The finger is about the thickness
of a human finger. but longer. Its
exterior Is smooth, stainless steel.
A cord links it to a box the size
OF a small radio cabinet. The box
furnishes the finger with electro
magnetic nerves.
These nerves are invisible lines
ballooning out around the fingers
end. They cannot be felt even when
they pass through tissues and
nerves. They pick up steel at con-
siderable distances. but may sense
other metals only when within about
an inch away. A dial reads the
findings of the finger
Imbedded Metal Removed.
Placed on Officer Vyslcocil's bare
ankle, the finger showed nothing.
That meant the fragment was not
iron, and was deeper than the elec-
tro-magnetic reach.
The ankle was opened. Ordinary
exploration, guided by the X-ray
pictures, failed to locate the frag-
ment. The surgeon then picked up
the finger and placed a rubber
finger over 1.-THE same sort of rub
Der that covered his own hands
Twice the finger was pushed gently
into the incision
The first time it gave a reading
over one of the several points along
the inclsion; it indicated 1t was
pointing directly at the fragment,
but still at some distance. The in
cision was deepened. The second
time, at the same point. the finger
picked up the metal, and this time
showed it was close.
Working at that point with his
own finger and going just a little
deeper the surgeon found the frag-
ment, embedded in the sheath sur
rounding the Achilles tendon. The
pain was explained. The fragment
was covered with scar tissue, form
ing bulge the size of little seed,
against which the tendon moved.
This robot finger. less than 6
months old, already has a brilliant
record, but the Worlds Fair bomb
fragment was a sort of final exam
ination. Military authorities are in
terested. because in war about 80 per
cent of the fragments are steel.
Perfected In Two Years.
On that metal the finger works
seeming magic If the metal is a
silver, the finger shows its axis: that
is. the direction in which the silver
lies. After a dial reading the oper-
ator can place a sample fragment
of steel IN front of the finger tip
and, by moving 1t outward along q
scale. read ia fractions of an inch
the exact depth at which the real
fragment lies in the tissues.
The finger. named simply the
locator, was made by Samuel Ber-
man, research and test engineer OF
the maintenance department, Inde-
pendent Subway, New York City
transit system. He made it at the
suggestion of DR.. John j. Moorhead
There was no such instrument in
the world when the suggestion was
made. 1t took Mr.. Berman nearly
two years to perfect the instrument
Last fall the finger got its first
trial on three fragments in the leg
Of another of the Worlds Fair
bomb explosion victims. 1t worked
so we'll that DR.. Moorhead took 1t
to Honolulu to show during lectures
there to Hawaiian physicians and
Army and Navy doctors.
The finger was one of the tools
called on for emergency treatment
of the wounded from Pearl Harbor
1t was used successfully % times
including locating bullet in one
mans spine. The military authori-
ties kept 1t.
Mr.. Berman then made the second
finger, with some improvements
which worked so well on Officer
Vyslcocil. The instrument now is
ready for reproduction for the