Willem Johan Kolff facts for kids

Willem Johan "Pim" Kolff (born February 14, 1911 – died February 11, 2009) was a brilliant doctor and inventor. He was a pioneer in creating artificial organs, like the artificial heart and the first machine to clean blood, called a hemodialysis machine. Dr. Kolff made his most important discoveries about treating kidney failure during World War II. In 1950, he moved to the United States. There, he became a U.S. citizen in 1955 and received many awards for his amazing work.

Early Life and Discoveries in the Netherlands

Willem Kolff was born in Leiden, Netherlands. He was the oldest of five brothers. He studied medicine at Leiden University. Later, he became a resident doctor at Groningen University.

Inventing the Artificial Kidney

One of Dr. Kolff's first patients was a young man slowly dying from chronic kidney failure. This made Kolff want to find a way to replace kidney function. Kidneys usually clean the blood. When they fail, harmful waste builds up in the body. Kolff wanted to build a machine to do this job.

In 1940, during his residency, Kolff also started Europe's first blood bank. This was a big step in saving lives during surgeries and emergencies.

His first artificial kidney machine was built in 1943. It was made from simple things like orange juice cans, old car parts, and even sausage casings. For two years, Kolff tried to help 15 patients with his machine, but sadly, none survived.

Then, in 1945, he had a breakthrough. He successfully treated a 67-year-old woman with his hemodialysis machine. This was the first time someone's life was saved from kidney failure using an artificial kidney.

Helping During World War II

During World War II, Dr. Kolff was in Kampen. He was part of the Dutch resistance, helping to fight against the German occupation. Even while doing this dangerous work, he continued to develop his artificial kidney.

In 1946, he earned his PhD degree from the University of Groningen. His work on the artificial kidney marked the start of a treatment that has saved millions of lives. It helps people with acute kidney injury or long-term kidney failure.

Moving to the United States

After the war, Dr. Kolff wanted to share his invention. He sent his artificial kidneys to hospitals in London, Amsterdam, and Poland. Another machine went to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. On January 26, 1948, this machine was used for the first human dialysis in the United States.

In 1950, Kolff moved to the U.S. to continue his research.

Innovations at Cleveland Clinic

At the Cleveland Clinic, he helped develop heart-lung machines. These machines keep the heart and lungs working during heart surgery. He also made his dialysis machine even better.

Developing Production Artificial Kidneys

Later, at Brigham and Women's Hospital, he created the first artificial kidney that could be mass-produced. It was called the Kolff Brigham Artificial Kidney. This made the life-saving treatment available to more people. He also developed the Travenol Twin-Coil Artificial Kidney.

Leading Artificial Organ Research

In 1967, Dr. Kolff became the head of the Division of Artificial Organs at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Here, he worked on developing the artificial heart. In 1982, the first artificial heart was implanted in a patient named Barney Clark. Clark lived for four months, and the artificial heart was still working when he passed away.

Dr. Kolff's Lasting Impact

Willem Kolff is often called the "Father of Artificial Organs." Many consider him one of the most important doctors of the 20th century. He received more than 12 honorary doctorates and over 120 international awards.

In 1990, Life Magazine included him in its list of the 100 Most Important Persons of the 20th Century. His work inspired many others. Robert Jarvik, who worked with Kolff, developed the first permanent artificial heart. Theodor Kolobow, another pioneer in artificial organs, was also inspired by Kolff.

Dr. Kolff passed away on February 11, 2009, just three days before his 98th birthday.

Recognized for Kindness

On February 29, 2012, Yad Vashem honored Willem Johan Kolff and his wife as Righteous Among the Nations. This special recognition was for their brave actions during World War II. They hid a Jewish medical colleague and his son, protecting them from danger.