Guide to Collections Relating to the History of Artificial Internal Organs

	National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution

	14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20560-0627
	(202) 357-2145
	(202) 357-1853
	americanhistory.si.edu

	Judy Chelnick, Museum Specialist, Division of Science, Medicine and Society
	chelnickj@nmah.si.edu

	An appointment is necessary to view collections. Museum hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily

	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.


Collections
	Artificial Organs Collection, 1935-1998



	Approximately 150 objects

	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.

	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

	Inventory listing available from Smithsonian Collections database. Consult Museum Specialist.

	None

	Supporting documentation, includes reprints and film.

	Willem J. Kolff Collection, 1943-1995



	Approximately 225 objects

	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.

	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

	Inventory listing available from Smithsonian Collections database. Consult Museum Specialist.

	None

	Supporting documentation including five archival boxes, two large ring binders, photos and slides.

Last reviewed: 27 August 2008
Last updated: 02 March 2007
First published: 01 March 2002
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanent: Dynamic Content