Kolff Memorial Symposium, 31 augustus 2009.

Springboard wil u graag attenderen op de het Kolff Memorial Symposium wat gehouden wordt op 31 augustus 2009. Het Universiteit Medische Centrum Groningen en de Kolff foundation organiseren dit symposium ter nagedachtenis van het werk en leven van Prof dr W.J. Kolff.

W.J. Kolff

14 •2•1911 ~ 11•2•2009

Prof.dr.WillemJ. Kolff, the “Father of Artificial Organs”, died on February 11th, 2009 at the age of 97 in Newtown Square, USA. Born in Leiden, the Netherlands, Kolff studied medicine in Leiden and became an assistant physician in the Groningen University hospital just before WorldWar II. During his internship he decided to find a therapy for renal patients, of which many died at an early age and invented the rotating drumartificial kidney in 1942. After his graduation Kolff became a specialist in internal medicine in Kampen, where he applied his artificial kidney clinically and he became known as the first medical doctor ever who kept an end stage renal patient alive. While waiting for the war to end, Kolff set up the first blood bank in Europe and saved over 800 people from transportation to German prisons and concentration camps while hiding them in the hospital. After the war, Dr. Kolff left the Netherlands, sensing better opportunities in the United States, where he became professor in Internal Medicine in the Cleveland Clinic where he improved his dialysis machine, and later he moved to Salt Lake City to work on the artificial heart.

Kolff was a real pioneer in artificial organs research: he was involved in the development of the total artificial heart, the membrane oxygenator, the heart-lung machine, the intra aortic balloon pump, the artificial arm and the artificial eye. His artificial heart developed at the University of Utah at the nineteen seventies, today known as the CardioWest TAH, is still in use and allows surgeons to bridge patients awaiting heart transplantation.

His medical inventions formed the basis for modern biomedical technology. His inventions have saved or extended countless lives. Kolff was awarded with 13 honorary doctorates and received 127 awards for his life time achievements.

In memory of the life and legacy of Prof.dr.W.J. Kolff the UniversityMedical CenterGroningen and the Kolff Foundation will organize the Kolff Memorial Symposium 2009, held on August 31st and September 1st, 2009 in Groningen and Kampen respectively. Participants are requested to return the registration form, or register by e-mail, before August 1st, 2009. The congress organizers are looking forward to welcoming you at this special event!

Voor pdf van symposium en inschrijving klik hier