ARTIFICIAL ORGANS SYMPOSIUM FEATURES PRESENTATION OF REPLICA ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY BASED ON ARTIFACT ON DISPLAY AT NATIONAL MEDICAL MUSEUM
September 30, 2009, Washington, D.C. – A replica of an artificial kidney device once used to treat soldiers during the Korean War was recently presented to an artificial organs museum at the Willem Kolff Foundation in Kampen, the Netherlands. The original artifact, on display at National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C., is part of the Museum's exhibit on battlefield medicine during the Korean War. The Museum is located on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The replica, built by students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, is based on a device first invented by Willem Kolff, known as the "father of artificial organs." While working at a hospital in Nazi-occupied Holland in 1942, Kolff succeeded in developing the first clinically useful machine to remove toxins from the blood before returning that blood to the patient. Kolff's invention and the subsequent development of improved designs of the device resulted in dramatically better outcomes for patients suffering from acute kidney failure.
"The unique partnership between biomedical engineering students and our own staff intrigued us," said Adrianne Noe, Ph.D., director of the NMHM. "This project offers yet another important example of how this Museum's collections are actively sought by researchers working on contemporary bioengineering challenges. Resolving some lingering engineering questions about this 20th century device will inform future developments in artificial organ technologies for decades to come."
Kolff, who died in early 2009, was one of the world's leading pioneers in artificial organs research. He was involved in the development of the total artificial heart, the membrane oxygenator, the heart-lung machine, the intra-aortic balloon pump, the artificial arm and the artificial eye, and began the first blood bank in Europe. His medical inventions formed the basis for modern biomedical technology and have saved or extended countless lives. Kolff was awarded with 13 honorary doctorates and received 127 awards for his lifetime achievements.
The Museum's artifact was built in 1950 by the Edward A. Olsen Co. of Ashland, Massachusetts. It was purchased by Walter Reed Army Medical Center to replace a machine sent to Korea for use by the U.S. Army. Records indicate it was retired from service in 1961 after treating 73 patients between February 1954 and June 1961.
Professor Paul Fagette, an historian and lecturer at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Department of Biomedical Engineering, has made a study of Kolff's devices and developed a component of an IIT course to require an in-depth study of the artificial kidney leading up to the manufacturing of a replica device. The course on dialysis design used the Museum's artificial kidney to help the students analyze early solutions for hemodialysis in order to offer them insights as they develop future devices. In late 2008, Fagette and several of his students visited the Museum in order to take a series of precise measurements on the Museum's artifact. Working with Alan Hawk and Jim Curley of the Museum's Historical Collections, the IIT team studied the device's many components while contributing to the Museum's understanding of the important role the device and its inventor played in the development of artificial organs.
"Dr. Kolff's influence in major innovations in the field of bio-medical engineering in the 20th century is underappreciated and we were honored to work on this project that sheds new light on artificial organ development," said James Curley, manager of the Museum's Historical Collections. "In applying technological solutions to medical problems, Kolff asserted that if the structure and function of one of the parts of the body can be understood, it can be built. At the same time, he was convinced that many of the best ideas stem from a lack of materials. During various iterations in the design of his first artificial kidney devices, he used sausage casings from a butcher shop, a basin from a local factory, a water pump from a Model T Ford and metal from a downed German fighter plane. Though the materials were raw, his solutions were elegant."
"It has been invigorating to work with these students and faculty who followed Kolff's insistence to ‘do it with your own hands,'" said Curley. "They actively engaged with the artifact: precisely measuring each part, making free-hand and mechanical drawings which led to 3-D computer modeling, taking photographs and filming video of the artifact's few moving parts, inspecting the wiring and investigating the construction materials. This reverse-engineering process has been illuminating and it was such a thrill to witness the moment when their finished model was unveiled."
The presentation of the working artificial kidney replica was part of a memorial symposium honoring Kolff and his works, and included commentary by Kolff's contemporaries, former students and colleagues. The replica is now on display at the University of Groningen Medical Center, where Kolff took his Ph.D. after obtaining his medical degree at the University of Leiden.
Photographs:
- Visit the photo gallery for photos from the IIT work at NMHM and the presentation in the Netherlands.
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About the National Museum of Health and Medicine:
- The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, established in 1862, inspires interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the Museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The Museum is an element of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), a tri-service Army, Navy and Air Force agency of the Department of Defense with a threefold mission of consultation, education and research. The Museum is located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., and is open every day (except December 25) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Visit the Museum Web site at www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum or call (202) 782-2200.
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