Bakken Library and Museum
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum
Deutsches Medizinhistorisches Museum
DeWitt Stetten Jr. Museum of Medical Research
Dittrick Medical History Center
Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences
International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation
International Center for Medical Technologies
International Museum of Surgical Science
John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center
Mayo Foundation Archives, Mayo Clinic
Medical History Museum of the University of Copenhagen
Medical History Museum of the University of Zurich
Medicinhistoriska Museet
Minnesota Historical Society
Museu Nacional de Historia da Medicina
Museum Boerhaave
Museum of Health Care at Kingston
Mutter Museum
National Library of Medicine
National Museum of American History
National Museum of Health and Medicine
Science Museum of London
Semmelweis Medical Historical Museum, Library and Archives
Thackray Museum
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum
University of Utah, Marriott Library, Special Collections
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University
Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine
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National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution |
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14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20560-0627 |
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(202) 357-2145 |
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(202) 357-1853 |
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americanhistory.si.edu |
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Judy Chelnick, Museum Specialist, Division of Science, Medicine and Society |
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chelnickj@nmah.si.edu |
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An appointment is necessary to view collections. Museum hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily |
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The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, Behring Center dedicates its collections to Scientific, technological and cultural objects and scholarship to inspiring a broader understanding of our nation and its many peoples. The museum creates leaning opportunities, stimulates imaginations, and presents challenging ideas about our country's past. The Museum's Division of Science, Medicine & Society preserves and interprets the rich material legacy of the biological, medical, and physical sciences, and houses one of the largest and most significant collections of medical artifacts in the world. The medical sciences collection, which numbers over 80,000 objects and growing, dates back to 1881 and includes many types of objects such as instruments, tools, equipment, devices, furnishings, clothing , containers, medicines, chemicals, prototypes, and models which help document the development and evolution of health care, biomedical sciences, and medical practice in the United States. These objects are supplemented by trade catalogues, posters, advertising literature, business and manufacturing records, and audiovisual and manuscript material. |
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Collections
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Artificial Organs Collection, 1935-1998 |
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Approximately 150 objects |
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The first so-called artificial organ collected for the Smithsonian was the Dodrill-GMR mechanical heart from the Research Laboratory Division of the General Motors Corporation in 1954. The Lindbergh-Carrel perfusion pump and the Sewell heart pump for bypassing the right side of a dog's heart arrived in the early 1960's. These three artifacts became the nucleus of the first exhibition on the history of the artificial heart at the Smithsonian.
The decades of the 1960's and 1970's were a time of prolific experimentation in the field of internal artificial organs. The Smithsonian became the recipient of this experimental bounty. The museum received pacemakers, ventricular assist devices, artificial kidneys, and artificial hearts. In 1987, the first totally implantable artificial heart approved as a bridge to transplantation was presented to the museum. Recently we collected three cochlear implants and a tremor control device that once implanted into the patient's brain is designed to help control symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
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The Smithsonian collection represents the very beginning of the successful use of internal artificial organs. Our goal is to continue to selectively collect internal artificial organs. Presently, the collection includes:
- Artificial eyes, glass
- Artificial eyes, acrylic, The Milton Wurtz Collection
- Artificial heart, NIH totally implantable,1969
- Artificial heart, first implanted in a human,1969
- Artificial Heart, Jarvik 7, implanted 1985
- Artificial kidney, Kolff-Brigham, 1949
- Artificial limbs, including arms, feet, hands and legs
- Artificial veins and arteries, Dupont, 1987
- Catheters, various types
- Dialysis monitor, Strong-Lasher, 1965
- Electrodes, pacemaker, various types
- Heart-Lung Machine, Sarnes, Inc., 1983
- Heart Pacer, Bendix, circa 1965
- Heart valve, Bjork-Shiley
- Heart valve, Hufnagel, floating disk, circa 1960
- Heart valves, Hufnagel, circa 1940's
- Heart valve, St. Jude's
- Intra-aortic balloon pump, Kantrowitz, circa 1965-1969
- Intra corporeal pump, Liotta-Hall, circa 1963
- Iron Lungs: Drinker, 3rd model; Emerson 1931; Pediatric
- Left ventricular assist device, DeBakey
- Membrane Oxygenator, Kolobow Type, Dow Corning, 1968
- Oxygenator, Shiley Inc., 1983
- Pacemaker, Chardack-Greatbatch
- Pacemaker, Omni-Stanicor, Lithium Powered, Cordis, c. 1979
- Pacemaker, Omni-Stanicor, Programmable, Cordis, c. 1979
- Pacemaker, Multi-Programmable, Medtronic, circa 1989
- Pacemaker, Dual chamber, Rate Responsive, Medtronic, 1998
- Pacemaker, Pivoting Disc, Lillehei-Kaster, 1981
- Pacemaker, Starr-Edwards Model 2400, 1981
- Pacemaker, Starr-Edwards Model 6520, 1981
- Pacemaker, Hall-Kaster Model M7700, 1981
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Inventory listing available from Smithsonian Collections database. Consult Museum Specialist. |
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None |
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Supporting documentation, includes reprints and film. |
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Willem J. Kolff Collection, 1943-1995 |
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Approximately 225 objects |
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Willem J. Kolff (born 1911) was a distinguished professor of medicine and surgery at the University of Utah. He used his skills as an entrepreneur, researcher, inventor and writer to become known as the "Father of Artificial Organs." In 1950, Kolff and his family immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands where he had already invented the artificial kidney and dialysis technique. Then, he worked in the Research Department and the Department of Surgery of the Cleveland Clinic to improve the artificial kidney, develop the heart and lung machine, and invent the first total artificial heart. In 1967, he moved to Utah to direct the Division of Artificial Organs and the Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBE) at the University of Utah. There, Kolff was in charge of teams working to develop further his previous inventions, as well as teams to develop the artificial eye, artificial hearing, artificial arm, and the subcutaneous peritoneal access device. During his life, he received more than 100 awards and published more than 600 articles. |
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The Smithsonian acquired the Kolff Collection in February 1998, and objects in the collection reflect the range of Dr. Kolff's research activities during his career. A select listing of some of these objects include:
- Rotating Drum artificial kidney
- Twin Coil artificial kidney
- Wearable artificial kidney
- Heart-lung machine
- Kwan-Gett heart
- Total electrohydraulic heart
- Flow-through LVAD
- Teflon artificial heart
- Molds for LVADs, RVADs and heart valves
- Axial flow pump
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Inventory listing available from Smithsonian Collections database. Consult Museum Specialist. |
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None |
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Supporting documentation including five archival boxes, two large ring binders, photos and slides. |
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