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The machine that failed fifteen times

In wartime Kampen, Willem Kolff built an artificial kidney from sausage casing and spare parts, and 15 of his first 16 patients died. Research and a bestselling book show when failure teaches and when it does not. This is history and research, not medical advice.

Major #41: Biomedical EngineeringThe story: Willem J. Kolff (1940s). The book: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

About 8 minutes

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In this lesson

  • Sausage casing and spare parts
  • The woman who woke up
  • What the research says
  • The book: The Emperor of All Maladies
  • What the evidence says about the book
  • Where this comes from
  • Try it today
  • 4 questions to check yourself

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