HIST 31305: Medical Devices and Innovation

Spring 2026 – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-2:45 pm – Stewart Center 314

 Professor: Michelle LaBonte, PhD

Department of History Purdue University

Email: mlabonte@purdue.edu Office: Beering 6122

Office Hours: Sign up on Calendly or email to schedule a different time

Teaching Assistants: TBD

Course Description

This course examines the history of material cultures of health care in the United States. The class will analyze how technological innovation has become central to medicine over the last two centuries and how we are coping with the consequences, both intended and unintended, of our reliance upon such medical devices. We will look at identities associated with medical devices, the ways in which disease is constructed, how technologies contribute to the naming of maladies, and implications for emergent bioengineering and biotechnologies. CRN: 23581

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. appreciate the circumstances and history of technological innovation in relation to medicine
2. understand and recognize how assumptions about health influence the practice of science and development of technologies during the late 19th and 20th centuries
3. analyze the design of objects to understand cultural consequences of their use
4. develop skills for reading critical historical commentaries and evaluating them
5. gain ability to question technological artifacts, practice, and knowledge in historical context

Course Requirements and Assignments

Participation (15%): Your participation grade will be calculated based on your attendance and engagement in each class session. There are many ways to participate, including being attentive and focused during class discussions, taking an active role in small group activities, responding to questions posed by the professor, asking your own questions during class, and listening to and engaging with the ideas expressed by your peers. Careful reading/listening/viewing of the assigned sources will be essential to fully participate in class. That being said, I don’t expect you to come to class having completely grasped all the material, and I encourage you to speak up when you are uncertain about an author’s argument or a course concept. If you find it challenging to participate during class, please reach out to me so we can develop a plan. I am happy to work with you! Your lowest two participation grades will be dropped.

Grading scale (maximum 2 points per class):

2/2: present and fully engaged for the entire class period

1/2: present but not fully engaged (due to electronics use, doing activities unrelated to class, arriving late, leaving early, etc.)

0/2: absent

Quizzes (25%): A total of four quizzes will be given throughout the semester. Quizzes cover both lecture material and assigned sources due before the given quiz and after the prior quiz. For example, Quiz #3, given in class on March 12, covers lecture material and assigned sources from February 24 – March 10. Except under extenuating circumstances, quizzes cannot be made up unless you have been granted an excused absence by the Dean’s office – see below for details.

Please reach out to me as soon as possible if you would like me to consider a makeup quiz. If you miss class prior to a quiz (including for a Dean’s excused absence), you are still responsible for all material covered in class while you were absent. Please reach out to Dr. LaBonte or a teaching assistant if you need help locating lecture notes. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Primary Source Analysis (20%): Identify two distinct areas of interest for your final project. For each area of interest, identify and analyze one relevant primary source AND upload the source as a PDF on Brightspace. Additional information about this assignment, including detailed guidance about how to analyze a primary source, an assignment template, and a rubric, is available on Brightspace. Your submission should be 600-800 words (excluding the uploaded primary sources). Due Tuesday, February 10 at 11:59 pm. Late assignments are accepted with a 10% per day late penalty. In other words, if the assignment is out of 100 points, you will lose 10 points if you turn it in between February 13 at 12:00 am and February 13 at 11:59 pm. Assignments will not be accepted past February 15 at 11:59 pm.

Secondary Source Analysis (20%): Select a topic for your final project and identify and analyze one relevant secondary source written by a historian. To find a relevant secondary source, you might locate an article in a historical academic journal (such as the Bulletin of the History of Medicine, the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, or Technology and Culture) or a book chapter in an academic press. You should also upload a PDF of the secondary source on Brightspace. Additional information about this assignment, including detailed guidance about how to analyze a secondary source, an assignment template, and a rubric, is available on Brightspace. Your submission should be 600-800 words (excluding the uploaded source). Due Thursday, April 2 at 11:59 pm. Late assignments are accepted with a 10% per day late penalty for up to 3 days past the deadline. In other words, if the assignment is out of 100 points, you will lose 10 points if you turn it in between April 3 at 12:00 am and April 3 at 11:59 pm. Assignments will not be accepted past April 5 at 11:59 pm.

Final Project (20%): You will have two options to choose from for the final project.

• Option 1: If you select the first option, you will build on your skills from the course to characterize and critically analyze a medical technology that has been used in the past or is currently in use in the form of a recorded slide presentation such as PowerPoint, Pages, or Google Slides.
• Option 2: If you select the second option, you will build on your skills from the course to propose, illustrate, describe, and critically analyze a novel medical technology that you invent in the form of a recorded slide presentation such as PowerPoint, Pages, or Google

For both options, no prior recorded slide presentation knowledge is required or assumed, and you will receive detailed guidance on all aspects of the project. This assignment is an opportunity for you to learn more about a topic that you are especially interested in, develop your research and presentation skills, and connect your topic to the larger themes in the history of medical devices and innovation that we cover in the assigned sources and in class. The presentation should be 8-10 minutes in length. Additional guidelines, including an assignment template and rubric, will be available on Brightspace. The presentation is due on Monday, May 4 at 11:59 pm. To provide you with guidance and feedback before submitting the presentation, you will also be asked to turn in two additional assignments leading up to the final project, described above. Late assignments are accepted with a 10% per day late penalty for up to 3 days past the deadline. In other words, if the assignment is out of 100 points, you will lose 10 points if you turn it in between May 5 at 12:00 am and May 5 at 11:59 pm. Assignments will not be accepted past May 7 at 11:59 pm.

Additional Information: I am happy to discuss your grades with you at any point during office hours, but grades will not be discussed over email due to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. You must complete all assignments, including participation, to pass the class. To ensure an open atmosphere in the class, please do not post any images, videos, chats, lecture notes, or other material from class without written permission from the instructor and each student in the class. Posting of any such material from class is grounds for an automatic F for the semester and referral to the Dean of Student’s Office.

Detailed Class Schedule

Week 1 – Introduction

Tuesday, January 13

• No readings or assignments

Thursday, January 15

• Reiser, Stanley Joel. Technological Medicine: The Changing Worlds of Doctors and Patients. Cambridge University 2009. Chapter 1: Revealing the Body’s Whispers: How the Stethoscope Transformed Medicine. Pages 1-13.
• [Optional Resource] Duffin, Jacalyn. History of Medicine: A Scandalously Short Introduction. Second The University of Toronto Press. 2010. Pages 221-230.

Week 2 – Microscopes in Medicine

Tuesday, January 20

• Tyson, James. "Original Department: Communications. Some Reasons Why the Microscope Should Be Used by Every " Medical and Surgical Reporter (1858-1898) 39, no. 3 (1878): 45.
• Herrick, James B. "Peculiar Elongated and Sickle-Shaped Red Blood Corpuscles in a Case of Severe " JAMA. 2014. 312(10): 1063. (Note: This is an excerpt from the original 1910 article.)
• [Optional Resource] Wailoo, ""A Disease 'Sui Generis'"": The Origins of Sickle Cell Anemia and the Emergence of Modern Clinical Research, 1904-1924." Bulletin of the History of Medicine 65, no. 2 (Summer 1991): 185-208.

Thursday, January 22

• Ravindran, “How DIY Technologies Are Democratizing Science.” Nature

587.7834 (2020): 509–511.

• Yong, “An Ingenious Microscope Could Change How Quickly Disease is Detected.”

The Atlantic. August 22, 2019

Week 3 – Graphing the Body

Tuesday, January 27

• Evans, "Losing Touch: The Controversy over the Introduction of Blood Pressure Instruments into Medicine." Technology and Culture 34, no. 4 (1993): 784-807.
• [Optional Resource] Hammonds EM, Reverby SM. Toward a historically informed analysis of racial health American J Public Health. 2019;109(10):1347-1349.
• [Optional Resource] Vyas DA, Eisenstein LG, Jones Hidden in plain sight: Reconsidering the use of race correction in clinical algorithms. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(9):874-882.

Thursday, January 29

·         QUIZ #1, in person

Week 4 – Visualizing the Body

Tuesday, February 3

• Howell, Joel D. Technology in the Hospital: Transforming Patient Care in the Early Twentieth Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995. Chapter 4. Clinical Use of the X-Ray Machine – The Newest Technology at the Oldest Hospitals. Pages 103-132.
• [Optional Resource] Kevles, Bettyann. Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Rutgers University Press, 1997. Chapter 3: Technological Innovation 1897-1918 – Building a Better Mousetrap. Pages 54-76.

Thursday, February 5

• Jameson, “Learning to Embrace and Celebrate Our Imperfect Bodies” TEDxStanford, May 30, 2017. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA7KbtclMWk
• [Optional Resource] Kevles, Bettyann. Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century. Rutgers University 1997. Chapter 8: A Subtler Slice: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Pages 173-200.
• [Optional Resource] Joyce, Magnetic Appeal: MRI and the Myth of Transparency. Cornell University Press. 2008.

Week 5 – Antibodies as Testing Technologies

Tuesday, February 10

• Come to class with at least two possible primary sources and be prepared to
• Assistance with the Primary Source Analysis Assignment

·         Primary Source Analysis due on Brightspace by 11:59 pm today

Thursday, February 12

• Brandt, Allan M. No Magic Bullet: A Social History of Venereal Disease in the United States Since 35^th Anniversary Edition. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. Pages 1-5 & 174-182.
• [Optional Resource] Löwy, "‘A River That Is Cutting Its Own Bed’: The Serology

of Syphilis between Laboratory, Society and the Law." Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 35, no. 3 (2004): 509-24.

Week 6 – Surgical Technologies

Tuesday, February 17

• Gawande, “Two Hundred Years of Surgery.” New England Journal of Medicine. 2012. 366: 1716-23.
• [Optional Resource] Jones, Broken Hearts: The Tangled History of Cardiac Care. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2013. Chapter 9: Surgical Ambition and Fear. Pages 113-124.

Thursday, February 19

·         QUIZ #2, in person

Week 7 – Prosthetic Devices

Tuesday, February 24

• Linker, War’s Waste: Rehabilitation in World War I America. The University of Chicago Press. 2011. Chapter 5: The Limb Lab and the Engineering of Manly Bodies. Pages 98-119.
• [Optional Resource] Virdi, Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History. University of Chicago Press. 2020.

Thursday, February 26

• No Dr. LaBonte at a Purdue event.

Week 8 – Artificial Organs and Implantable Devices

Tuesday, March 3

• Julie and Wilson, Daniel. Polio Voices: An Oral History from the American Polio Epidemics and Worldwide Eradication Efforts. 2007. Chapter 2: Acute and Convalescent Polio. Selections.

Thursday, March 5

• Sonstegard, David A., Matthews, Larry S., and Kaufer, Herbert. “The Surgical Replacement of the Human Knee ” Scientific American. 1978. 238(1): 44-51.
• Miller, “Olathe Girl Uses Artificial Pancreas.” Olathe News. October 30, 1981.
• [Optional Resource] Greene, Jeremy. “Do-It-Yourself Medical Devices — Technology and Empowerment in American Health ” New England Journal of Medicine. 2016. 374(4): 305-308.

Week 9 – Reproductive Technologies

Tuesday, March 10

• Harris-Perry, “The Realities of Race in Assisted Reproduction.” The Takeaway. November 17, 2022. (23 min audio recording) URL: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/realities-race-assisted-reproduction
• [Optional Resource] Ronner, Wanda & Marsh, (2019). The Pursuit of

Parenthood: Reproductive Technology from Test-tube Babies to Uterus Transplants. Johns Hopkins University Press. Chapter 1: Test-Tube Babies Just Around the Corner. Pages 11-30.

Thursday, March 12

·         QUIZ #3, in person Week 10 – Spring Break

Week 11 – Testing Chromosomes, Genes, and Genomes

Tuesday, March 24

• Haney, Robert “The Scientists Tell Me…Chromosomes Reveal Defects of Genetic Background.” Brownwood Bulletin. December 7, 1975.
• Mundy, “Life After Henry” The Idaho Statesman, Apr 12, 2010
• [Optional Resource] Lindee, M. Susan. Moments of Truth in Genetic Medicine. Baltimore, : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. Chapter 4: Squashed Spiders: Standardizing the Human Chromosome and Other Unruly Things. Pages 90-119.

Thursday, March 26

• Winik, Lyric “When You Should Consider a Genetic Test.” The Index-Journal. April 19, 1998. Page 47.
• Wade, “For $985, a Look into One’s Genetic Past and Future.” The Tribune. November 17, 2007.
• [Optional Resource] de Chadarevian, Soraya, “Whose Turn? Chromosome Research and the Study of the Human Genome,” Journal of the History of Biology. 51:631–655

Week 12 – Analyzing Secondary Sources

Tuesday, March 31

• Assistance with the Secondary Source Analysis Assignment

Thursday, April 2

• Come to class with a draft of your assignment and be prepared to discuss

·         Secondary Source Analysis due on Brightspace by 11:59 pm today

Week 13 – Gene Therapy

Tuesday, April 7

• Lindee, Susan and Mueller, "Is Cystic Fibrosis Genetic Medicine's Canary?"

Perspect Biol Med. 2011. 54(3): 316-331.

• [Optional Resource] Wailoo, Keith and Pemberton, 2006. The Troubled Dream of Genetic Medicine: Ethnicity and Innovation in Tay-Sachs, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sickle Cell Disease. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Chapter 2: Risky Business in White America: Gene Therapy and Other Ventures in the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. Pages 61-67 & 91-110.

Thursday, April 9

• Bear, “Sisters” in Tangents. Millennium. 1989. Pages 227-266.

Week 14 – AI in Medicine

Tuesday, April 14

• Yu, Victor et al. “Antimicrobial Selection by a Computer: A Blinded Evaluation by Infectious Diseases Experts.” JAMA. 1979. 242(12): 1279-1282.
• Kolata, “Paging Dr. Bot: AI Chatbots Defeated Doctors at Diagnosing Illness.” The Times-Tribune. November 21, 2024.
• [Optional Resource] Lea, Digitizing Diagnosis: Medicine, Minds, and Machines in Twentieth-Century America. Chapter 5: MYCIN Explains Itself. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2023.

Thursday, April 16

·         QUIZ #4, in person

Week 15 – Final Project Activities

Tuesday, April 21

• We will be doing a workshop in class related to the final Come to class ready to discuss your plans for your final project.

Thursday, April 23

• Be prepared to give a 2-3-minute presentation describing your final project to your classmates. Please come to class with at least one image to share while giving your presentation. The presentation is not graded but will allow you to receive peer feedback prior to the submission of your Final Project.

Week 16 – Work on Final Project

Tuesday, April 28

• Receive assistance with the final project in

Thursday, April 30

• Receive assistance with the final project in

Final Project due on Brightspace by 11:59 pm on Monday, May 4

Course Policies and Expectations

My commitment to you: You can expect me to be engaged and available. Please email me and come to office hours to discuss any course-related matter. I am also happy to serve as a support for you on other matters, such as your academic plans, or discuss any challenges that you may be dealing with. If I don’t have expertise in the area you would like help with, I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

Office hours: I encourage you to use Calendly to schedule a time to meet with me during regular office hours or email me to schedule another time. If you need to cancel a meeting, please do so at least 24 hours in advance.

Email Policy: Expect a timely (but not immediate) response to emails. I plan to respond to email within 24 hours during weekdays when Purdue is in session. For example, if you send me an email at 3 pm on a Friday, I will reply to you by 3 pm on the following Monday. I also ask you to respond to any course-related emails that require a reply within 48 hours during weekdays.

Email Etiquette Policy: Students should use proper email etiquette. An email should begin with a salutation such as “Dear Professor LaBonte” or “Dear Dr. LaBonte” and end with a proper closing, such as “Sincerely,” or “Best Wishes.”

Attendance Policy: This course follows the University Academic Regulations regarding class attendance, which state that students are expected to be present for every meeting of the classes in which they are enrolled. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class and lateness will be noted. For cases that fall under excused absence regulations, you or your representative should contact or go to the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) website to complete appropriate forms for instructor notification. Under academic regulations, excused absences may be granted by ODOS for cases of grief/bereavement, military service, jury duty, parenting leave, or certain types of medical care. The processes are detailed, so plan ahead.

Electronic devices: HIST 31305 is a device-free zone. Phones, tablets, and laptops are not permitted. Any student seen using an electronic device will receive an “0” for participation for the day. I may occasionally make exceptions to this policy if we are doing a class activity that requires the use of electronics, but I will make these exceptions clear. If you have accommodations through the Disability Resource Center that require the use of an electronic device in class, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can adjust the class policy accordingly.

Late work policy: Please let me know if you are struggling to complete work so we can brainstorm strategies to effectively manage the course workload. I am here to help! Late assignments will not be accepted without penalty (10% deduction per day) except in extraordinary circumstances, with a note from the dean’s office.

Accessible education: I’m committed to making the course accessible to all students. Purdue University strives to make learning experiences accessible to all participants. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are welcome to let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center at: drc@purdue.edu or by phone at 765-494-1247.

Citation practices: Please properly cite any sources that you use in the preparation of assignments for this course.

Academic Honesty: All individual assignments submitted for this course are expected to be your own, including your own research and writing. Incidents of academic misconduct in this course will be addressed by the course instructor and referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) for review at the university level. Any violation of course policies as it relates to academic integrity will result minimally in a failing or zero grade for that particular assignment, and at the instructor’s discretion may result in a failing grade for the course. In addition, all incidents of academic misconduct will be forwarded to OSRR, where university penalties, including removal from the university, may be considered.

Freedom of Expression: In this class, students are encouraged to exercise their right to free inquiry and expression. You are welcome to express any view on the subject matter introduced by the instructor or other class members within the structure of the course. While you are responsible for learning the content of this course, you remain free to take a reasoned exception to the views presented and to reserve judgment about matters of conscience, controversy, or opinion. When you encounter ideas that you find offensive, unwise, immoral, or wrong-headed, you are encouraged to engage them with reasons, evidence, and arguments. Your course grade will be based on your academic performance, not on the opinions you express. Our commitment to freedom of expression means that no relevant ideas or positions are out of bounds, but disruptive or disorderly behavior, threats, or harassment are strictly prohibited and will be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students. See the University's “Commitment to Freedom of Expression” and “Bill of Student Rights” in the University Policies and Statements module on Brightspace.

AI/Chatbot Policy: The use of chatbots for writing and research is strictly forbidden unless I make an exception in writing for a particular circumstance. Submitting AI-generated writing or research as your own is academic dishonesty and carries the same penalties as plagiarism.

Copyright Policy: See the University Policies and Statements section of Brightspace for guidance on Use of Copyrighted Materials. Effective learning environments provide opportunities for students to reflect, explore new ideas, post opinions openly, and have the freedom to change those opinions over time. Students and instructors are the authors of the works they create in the learning environment. As authors, they own the copyright in their works subject only to the university’s right to use those works for educational purposes. Students may not copy, reproduce, or post to any other outlet (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, or other open media sources or websites) any work in which they are not the sole or joint author or have not obtained the permission of the author(s).

Syllabus Revisions: I may update the syllabus during the semester as needed, in which case I will make an announcement in class and on Brightspace.

Resources and Additional Information

Mental Health and Wellness Support:

• If you find yourself beginning to feel some stress, anxiety and/or feeling slightly overwhelmed, try Therapy Assistance Online (TAO), a web and app-based mental health resource available courtesy of Purdue Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). TAO is available to all students at any time by creating an account on the TAO Connect website, or downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play. It offers free, confidential well-being resources through a self-guided program informed by psychotherapy research and strategies that may aid in overcoming anxiety, depression and other concerns. It provides accessible and effective resources including short videos, brief exercises, and self-reflection tools.

• If you need support and information about options and resources, please contact or see the Office of the Dean of Students. Call 765-494-1747. Hours of operation are M-F, 8 am- 5 pm.
• If you find yourself struggling to find a healthy balance between academics, social life, stress, etc., sign up for free one-on-one virtual or in-person sessions with a Purdue Wellness Coach at RecWell. Student coaches can help you navigate through barriers and challenges toward your goals throughout the Sign up is free and can be done on BoilerConnect. Students in Indianapolis will find support services curated on the Vice Provost for Student Life website.
• If you’re struggling and need mental health services: Purdue University is committed to advancing the mental health and well-being of its If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and/or in need of mental health support, services are available. For help, such individuals should contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 765-494-6995 during and after hours, on weekends and holidays, or by going to the CAPS offices in West Lafayette or Indianapolis.

Public Speaking Support: The Presentation Center in the Brian Lamb School of Communication is an excellent resource, and I am always happy to meet with you individually to support the development of your presentation skills.

Academic Support: The Academic Success Center, located in Wiley Hall, Room C215, provides a variety of proactive, practical and approachable academic support services for undergraduate students.

Library Support: Visit Ask a Librarian to connect with helpful resources and services provided by the Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies for course assignments and projects.

Brightspace: Access the course via Purdue’s Brightspace learning management system. Begin with the Start Here tab, which offers further insight to the course and how you can be successful in it. It is strongly suggested that you explore and become familiar not only with the site navigation, but also with content and resources available for this course. See the Student Services widget on the campus homepage for resources such as Technology Help, Academic Help, Campus Resources, and Protect Purdue.

Nondiscrimination Statement: Purdue University is committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her potential. In pursuit of its goal of academic excellence, the University seeks to develop and nurture diversity. The University believes that diversity among its many members strengthens the institution, stimulates creativity, promotes the exchange of ideas, and enriches campus life. A hyperlink to Purdue’s full Nondiscrimination Policy Statement is included in our course Brightspace under University Policies and Statements.

Basic Needs Security: Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support. There is no appointment needed and Student Support Services is available to serve students 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Emergency Preparation: In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructor’s control. Relevant changes to this course will be posted onto the course website or can be obtained by contacting the instructors or TAs via email or phone. You are expected to read your @purdue.edu email on a frequent basis. A link to Purdue’s Information on Emergency Preparation and Planning is located on our Brightspace under “University Policies and Statements.” This website covers topics such as Severe Weather Guidance, Emergency Plans, and a place to sign up for the Emergency Warning Notification System. I encourage you to download and review the Emergency Preparedness for Classrooms document (PDF) or (Word).

The first day of class, I will review the Emergency Preparedness plan for our specific classroom,

following Purdue’s required Emergency Preparedness Briefing.

Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is one of the highest values that Purdue University holds. Individuals are encouraged to alert university officials to potential breaches of this value by either emailing integrity@purdue.edu or by calling 765-494-8778. While information may be submitted anonymously, the more information is submitted the greater the opportunity for the university to investigate the concern. More details are available on our course Brightspace under University Policies and Statements.