Isidor Clinton Rubin

Isidor Clinton Rubin (January 8, 1883 in Germany – July 10, 1958 in London) was an American gynecologist who developed the Rubin test, a tubal insufflation test. This is an office procedure to check for tubal patency in the infertility investigation.

Biography Although Rubin was born in Friedrichshof, a small place in Prussia, he usually told people that he was born in Vienna. Rubin's parents were Nehemiah Rubin and his wife Froma, née Keller. He came to America at an early age, was educated at the City College of New York and received his medical degree from Columbia University in 1905. He then trained for three years at The Mount Sinai Hospital. In 1909, he went to Vienna to work for one year in Schottländer's laboratory of gynecologic pathology at the II Universität-Frauenklinik. In 1958, Speert stated that "many gynecologists regard it as the twentieth century's most important contribution to the clinical study of female infertility."

Other contributions Among other contributions to gynecology were his observations regarding the early development of cervical cancer. He was one of the first to use hysterosalpingography in the diagnosis of tubal and uterine disorders. His studies on ectopic pregnancy laid down the principles to identify a cervical pregnancy that became known as Rubin's criteria.

Books Rubin IC. Uterotubal Insufflation. CV Mosby Co, St. Louis, 1947. Rubin IC. Symptoms in Gynecology, 1923. Rubin IC, Novak J. Integrated Gynecology, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1956.

Awards In 1947, a special issue of the Journal of the Mount Sinai Hospital was dedicated to Rubin at the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Rubin test. In 1957, a special issue of Fertility and Sterility – Volume 8, number 6 – commemorated his 75th birthday. Among the many honors Rubin received is the title of officer of the French Legion of Honour.