Carrel-Lindbergh perfusion pump

Carrel-Lindbergh perfusion pump

Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description
This perfusion pump was invented by aviator Charles Lindbergh and Dr. Alexis Carrel, recipient of the 1912 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine for his work in vascular surgery.
The glass pump was used to preserve animal organs outside the body, by pushing "artificial blood" through the pump and into the organ by way of a tube connected to the organ's artery keeping the organ alive for weeks. The Lindbergh-Carrel perfusion pump led to the development of the heart-lung machine and the feasibility of stopping the heart for open-heart surgery.
Object Name
pump
perfusion pump
date made
ca 1935
inventor
Lindbergh, Charles A.
maker
Hopf, Otto
place made
United States: New York, New York
Physical Description
glass (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 45 cm x 20 cm x 11 cm; 17 23/32 in x 7 7/8 in x 4 11/32 in
ID Number
MG.M-12298
accession number
279576
catalog number
M-12298
Credit Line
Georgetown University
subject
Medical
Artificial Organs
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Health & Medicine
Artificial Hearts
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Comments

Did any of these devices ever receive a patent?

Decessus

Fri, 2014-04-11 00:32

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.