General Information

Serial #

prototype

Part Number

2

Total Parts

10

AKA

artificial kidney machine

Patents

N/A

General Description

metal, rubber, cork and glass components.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

22.0 cm

Width

9.6 cm

Height

12.7 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Medical equipment

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Murray Roschlau

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

Used c. 1951-1953.

Canada

Second artificial kidney designed and manufactured by Drs. Gordon Murray and Walter Roschlau at W.P Caven Research Foundation, Toronto c. 1951-1953. It was used experimentally in his laboratory on Holmwood Ave. (site of the CRV) and once for emergency treatment on a patient suffering kidney failure at Toronto General Hospital. [Ref.4] Murray's second-generation machine was an improvement from the original: it's design features made it more compact and efficient, easier to handle, set-up and use, and less intimidating for both patient and hospital staff. [Ref. 8] Murray abandoned his renal dialysis research c. 1954 . Murray was a remarkable surgeon and innovator whose work earned him international recognition. In the 1930s Dr. Murray introduced the anticoagulant Heparin to world clinical practice; in the '40s he developed the first artificial kidney in North America; and in 1955 he performed the first successful transplant of a human heart valve. Unfortunately, these achievements are often overshadowed by his later, controversial work on an anti-cancer serum, and on unconventional surgery for injuries caused by traumatic paraplegia. (2002.0619 Ref. 3]

Function

Used to move dialysate solution through dialysate filter.

Technical

In second generation artificial kidney machine, both a blood and dialysate pump were employed. This allowed for precise control of dialysate flow, and for the storage of dialysate container in a cabinet (and out of sight). The pump and valve system used in this pump is identical to the blood pump (.1) The plunger in this pump is fixed to the rubber diaphragm in order to exert pull during the backstroke. This is necessary to overcome the difference in height between the dialysate container (usually stored in a cabinet, below the dialyser [filter] ] and the dialyser. Like the blood pump, the dialysate pump had a capacity of 30 mL. Unlike the blood pump, the dialysate pump did not require sterilization prior to use. [Ref. 5]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

None evident, save UHN catalogue no. "994.1.18" printed by hand in black ink on frame.

Missing

Unknown.

Finish

Bright silver metal [stainless steel ?] frame and selected fittings; black rubber diaphragm and selected fittings; clear glass tubes, larger of which is supported by black metal rod.

Decoration

N/A