activities as a link between Medical Research Centers, Universities, and Industry. The objectives were a living, working museum that would display the restored pieces at regional and national conferences.
THE MUSEUM OF HOPE
Modified Skeggs-Leonard Parallel Plate Dialyzer
(1950's) :The modified Skeggs-Leonard Parallel Plate Dialyzer was useful in developing
the appropriate compartment shaping and membrane
technology necessary to further molecular clearance
models. The primary goal was to increase surface area while reducing blood priming volumes. This plate dialyzer research evolved to further developments, including contributions by Dr. Fredrik Kiil. The plate dialyzer format was helpful in supporting twin-coil reuse methodology.
Reuse promoted an approach to improve membrane biocombatabilty
as well as offer a means to reduce the cost
of dialysis.
100 Liter Pump Tank (1956-1959) :The 100 Liter Pump Tank was manufactured by Baxter Travenol Between 1956 and 1959. During those three years 123 units were shipped. Many, however, remained uncrated for the lack of trained personnel. The 100 Liter Tank utilized a coil dialysis filter system. The volume of the earlier coils required that they be primed or filled with blood, therefore the patient would receive a blood transfusion with the start of each treatment. The bath or dialysis solution was 100 liters. The patient would be treated for 6 hours; his blood returned the system disassembled, cleaned and set up to administer the second 6 hours of the required 12 hour treatment.
Travenol RSP (Introduced 1967) :The Travenol RSP became
the industry's work horse. Introducing improved aspects of dialysis, as well as mobility.
The RSP carried a bath of 120 leters, and
at its inception was designed for coil dialyzers.
Later modifications of the RSP allowed for
negative pressure applications, so that hollow
fiber technology could be utilized.
SORB Systems (1968-1971) : The museum exhibits one of only three prototype sorbent delivery systems manufactured and developed by Organon-Tecknica. The display includes a reuseable cartridge case that was used experimentally. These first three experimental units progressed the development of what later was marketed as the URS, the URSB, the URSD, the SSD, and the REDY 2000. 17 URSD machines were donated and sent to Armenia from Los Angeles California in December of 1988; this effort in order to help in the care of acutely ill patients who needed dialysis due to "CRUSH" syndrome injuries sustained from the earthquake in Spitak Armenia.
Redy Sorb System (1970's) :The Sorb Cartridge
System helped promote the evolution of mobile acute dialysis
teams and re-enforced much of the research
in developing specific baths tailored to meet
the needs of the individual acutely ill patient.
Its greatest advantage on a short term basis
was to achieve 4 hours of dialysis with only
6 leters of bath, instead of the normally
required 120 leters. This was achieveable
because of sorbent cartridge technology. It
also gave the care giver a precise measure
of fluid removal because of its closed and
minaturized dialysis batch system.
MA-D Air Foam Detector 1975 : During the late 1960’s in Los Angeles California, a home dialysis patient and his son (an inventor) developed a reliable way to detect air, or air foam, in the extra corporeal hemodialysis blood circuit. The air foam detectors prior to this breakthrough were in fact each patient and his caregiver, who would visually try to see air in the extra corporeal lines during 8 hours of treatment time. Air in the bloodlines, especially micro-air emboli, is an immediate life-threatening event. The patient on dialysis requires the blood pump speed set to propel his/her blood at a minimum of 10 ounces per minute; air making its way to the patient’s circulatory system would cause the patient’s circulatory system to collapse with air trapped in the left ventricle of the heart.
Nevertheless, this home dialysis patient’s son, an inventor, and his father worked to develop an air detection device that worked far better than any others who attempted at solving the problem. What first became marketed as the MA-D air foam detector, was capable of detecting micro-air emboli, it would alarm audibly, stop the blood pump, and clamp the venous line.
Milton-Roy BR 110 (1975) : The BR 110 was a single patient delivery system and it utilized hot water sterilization for disinfection after patient use.
