Test Rig for the Atomic Energy Artificial Heart
date: label: date made
content: 1972
name: label: maker
content: Kolff Laboratory
notes: label: Description
content: This test rig was used to analyze the ventricles made for the Atomic Energy Artificial Heart. An artificial heart driven by atomic energy was financed by the Atomic Energy Commission, and by Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). In 1977 the ERDA became the United States Department of Energy, which lost interest in the development of a nuclear heart. The engine was made by North America/Phillips while the silastic ventricles were made in Kolff's laboratory. Kolff replaced the Sterling engine with a small electromotor on the pump and obtained survival of a calf for 35 days with this artificial heart.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Utah, Salt Lake City
topic: label: Subject
content: Artificial Organs
label: Subject
content: Medicine
label: Subject
content: Cardiology
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
label: See more items in
content: Artificial Hearts
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Shelley McKellar. Negotiating Risk: The Failed Development of Atomic Hearts in America, 1967-1977 in Technology and Culture
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Willim J. Kolff, M.D.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1998.0035.042.02
label: accession number
content: 1998.0035
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0035.042.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: test rig
label: Object Name
content: heart, artificial
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: dacron (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: surgical tape (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: white metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 cm x 26.5 cm x 13 cm; 6 5/16 in x 10 7/16 in x 5 1/8 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 5 1/4 in x 10 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in; 13.335 cm x 26.67 cm x 16.51 cm