Dialysis in the 1960s and the First Hollow Fiber Dialyzer

Abstract

The history of the development of the first hollow fiber dialyzer as part of a federally funded project at Dow Chemical in Walnut Creek, California is interesting, as this project represented an initial step in the technical advances that dialysis has experienced over the last 40 years. The project, important in its own right, was revolutionary; the predominant design of dialyzers in use at the time employed either flat membranes or collapsed large cellulose tubing. The hollow fiber dialyzer project, in addition to being technologically important, brought together several individuals who over the intervening four decades have launched careers and collaborations that have had a profound impact, as well as resulting in major advances and contributions to a greater understanding of the dialysis process and adequate delivery of care.