Wartenberg wheel
Rueda de Wartenberg
- Date
- c. 1930 · confidence low
- Place
- Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Credited to
- Robert Wartenberg
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A steel wheel with evenly spaced pins, named after neurologist Robert Wartenberg, rolled across the skin to test pain sensitivity in neurological exams; he is sometimes wrongly credited as its actual inventor.
Robert Wartenberg is credited with the device named after him, but sources note this attribution is sometimes incorrect.
What it led to
- standard tool in neurological pain sensitivity testing
- disposable plastic versions for hygiene reasons
- standardization of pinprick sensation testing
- use in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies