Kolff artificial kidney, Netherlands, 1955-1956

Made:
1955-1956 in Netherlands
maker:
Willem Johann Kolff
Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin by W.J Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin by W.J Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin by W.J

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin by W.J
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin by W.J
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin by W.J
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Prototype twin coil dialyser in an apricot tin with lid, by Willem Johann Kolff, Netherlands, 1955-1956

Willelm J Kolff (b. 1911) developed the first artificial kidney, a forerunner of the kidney dialysis machine, during the Second World War in German-occupied Holland. Kolff used such easily available resources as cellophane sausage casing and empty food tins to build his ‘kidney’, which served to filter the blood. This example is made from an apricot tin.

When a person’s kidneys fail, waste products cannot be removed from the blood and this causes illness.

Details

Category:
Therapeutics
Object Number:
1987-250
Materials:
tin (metal), metal (unknown), plastic (unidentified) and paper (fibre product)
Measurements:
overall: 220 mm 200 mm, 1.96 kg
type:
kidney dialysis machine
credit:
Joekes, A.M.