9 February 2005

An unlikely patient

Photo opportunity 3pm, Thursday 10 February, RRS Discovery, Discovery Point, Dundee.

A vital medical tool more commonly used for internal investigations in humans will be delving deep into the bowels of a less likely patient this week. The University of Dundee will present Dundee Heritage Trust with a monitor to use with an endoscope for restoration work on the historic vessel.

Jeremy Martindale, an expert in minimal access surgery in the University's Medical School will present the chair of Dundee Heritage Trust Stewart Brymer with a second hand monitor which will be used with the endoscope, previously donated by the University, to display damage or rot in the inaccessible parts of the hull.

Jim Meldrum, the ships rigger, who served in the Merchant Navy and Alan Duffy who is the ships carpenter, will use the endoscope to get into the ship's hull to search for decay or water seepage. The new monitor will display what the camera on the endoscope sees so the tradesmen can identify what lies below and take action to repair any damage.

Jim explains: "The endoscope and monitor will let us do health checks on the parts of the ship we can't see on a regular basis. We won't have to dry dock the ship and remove its timber every time we need to check it. For such an historic ship that needs careful preservation, this is a great advantage."

Stewart Brymer, chair of Dundee Heritage Trust initially came up with the idea of using the endoscope on the Discovery. He said: "Endoscopes are usually associated with investigations in the human body but they are also used in industry to look into engines. I thought that given the University of Dundee's expertise in minimally invasive surgery we could use the same techniques on Dundee's ship."

"The longer rot is allowed to take root and spread on the ship, the longer it takes to conserve the old timber. We hope that this equipment will let us detect decay earlier and save us time in the restoration procedure."

Dundee Heritage Trust currently has a grant application lodged with the heritage lottery fund for restoration work on RRS Discovery.

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk