PROJECT BIONICS

Meeting Notes

Re:                  Project Bionics Meeting at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Date:               October 10, 2003

Participants:     R. Bartlett, J.Chelnick,  A.Ciarkowski, R.Kondratas,  M.Kurusz, S.McKellar, Y.Nose, P.Portner, J.Kantrowitz (conference call)

 

 

 

1.0           Welcome and Approval of Agenda – R.Bartlett

 

R.Bartlett welcomed all Work Group members to the meeting.

 

 

2.0           ASAIO 50th Anniversary Activities

 

2.1           Gold Volume of ASAIO Journal – R.Bartlett

R.Bartlett reported on the progress of the Gold Volume to-date.  George Schreiner has completed a 30 page chapter on the early years of ASAIO meetings and the ASAIO Journal.  This is now being edited.  A draft list of more than 100 ‘best’ papers published in the ASAIO Journal is online at the Project Bionics website.  The ASAIO membership has been invited to nominate papers, and to-date about 24 ASAIO members have offered comments.

 

Y.Nose circulated his list of ‘most significant’ ASAIO papers from the first 30 years of the ASAIO Journal.  Y.Nose identified 130 papers, by using the criteria that an article was the first to appear in Transactions on a specific type of artificial organ or that it constituted an important impact on the research/clinical field of artificial organs, that should be included on the list.  There is some overlap with the online list.  The Work Group thanked Y.Nose for composing this list and circulating it to the group. S.McKellar will make this list available online and ask for ASAIO membership comments.  Y.Nose would like particular attention spent on the last 20 years for suggested articles to be added to his list.

 

A discussion then began about the need to be inclusive, but also selective.  While the group does not want to offend any research group or individual, clearly not all papers published in the Transactions/ASAIO Journal are significant or important papers to the same degree.  There needs to be further encouragement for ASAIO members to be able to comment on the list – to nominate additional papers; to suggest deletion of other papers – particularly in the fields in which they are actively researching.  S.McKellar will email ASAIO members again after updating the uploaded list, asking for additions/deletions to the list.

 

It was also discussed and agreed that a screening and/or editorial function must be done by the Work Group after the ASAIO membership has made their contributions.

 

The timeline to complete the next steps of this Gold Volume are as follows:

 

                                                                                                  Oct 15            - Online draft list updated to include Y.Nose’s selections – S.McKellar                                                                    - Email to ASAIO members via ASAIO headofficeS.McKellar

 

                                                                                                    Jan 1            - ASAIO members to offer comments – additions/deletions – by Jan 1

 

                                                                                                    Feb 1            - Work Group to complete editorial function – selection of papers

 

Mar 1    - Draft Gold Volume completed – ready for discussion and review by Work Group in March Project Bionics meeting

 

                                                Apr 1    - Gold Volume to Press

 

 

The discussion that followed related to the contents of the Gold Volume.  What would the ASAIO members like to see in this commemorative volume?  A draft table of contents may include:

 

·         “Early Years of ASAIO” by George Schreiner (in hand now)

·         The original ASAIO members (67 members)

·         List of past 50 ASAIO meetings

·         List of past 50 ASAIO Presidents

·         Photo Essay

·         Nominated “Best Papers” in ASAIO Journal over past 50 years

·         Selected “Best Papers” in ASAIO Journal reprinted

 

The volume will be in range of 300 to 500 pages.  There was discussion about the possibility of making the full text of all articles identified as ‘significant’ available.  R.Kondratas suggested a CD-Rom, which worked well in his experience with the ultrasound professional society, which whom he is working.  It was agreed by the Work Group that, if possible, a CD-Rom with full text of papers nominated as “Best Papers” in ASAIO Journal might be scanned and placed in a back pocket of the Gold Volume.

 

It was suggested that the Gold Volume be a part of 2004 ASAIO meeting registration package.  An additional $25 should be added to the 2004 ASAIO meeting registration fee to cover this cost.  Additional copies will be made available for sale at meeting.  ASAIO members registered for the meeting will receive a ‘gold card’ in their registration kit.  The ‘gold card’ can be redeemed at the Project Bionics booth for a Gold Volume.  This will ensure visits to the Project Bionics booth.

 

 

2.2.          Historical Program for 2004 ASAIO Meeting – P.Portner

 

P.Portner reported on his recommendations to the ASAIO Program Committee last year that the ASAIO meeting might consider returning to its older format of more plenary sessions.  This allows researchers to attend sessions outside their research fields.  P.Portner is not on this year’s Program Committee but was pleased to learn that the Program Committee is considering this format.

 

The ASAIO Head office had kindly circulated the discussion notes from the 2004 ASAIO Program Committee.  It appears from these notes that indeed the 2004 ASAIO Program Committee is leaning this way.  The theme of the 2004 meeting will be “Past, Present and Future.”  That being said, the Work Group then discussed how we might contribute to the “Past” component of the program.

 

P.Portner suggested historical introductions or talks on six different areas to cover almost all of artificial organ fields of interest.  These presentations might be 30-45 minutes in length, and provide an overview of historical developments that have led to present day research interests/progress, and end with comments on future direction.  Guidelines on how these ‘historical’ talks might be structured would be offered to the six presenters to provide some coherency and continuity between them.  These historical talks should be spread over the 3 days, and linked to current research papers/sessions.

 

The Work Group discussed the key topics/areas to be addressed in these talks, as well as possible ASAIO members to present these talks.  The following list was agreed upon:

 

·         “Early Years of ASAIO” by George Schreiner

·         Renal – J.Winchester

·         Extracorporeal mechanical circulatory support – M.Kurusz

·         Implantable cardiac devices – P.Portner

·         Membrane oxygenators / lungs – R.Bartlett

·         Biomaterials / bioengineering – E.Leonards

·         ApheresisY.Nose

·         Overview of field / history project – S.McKellar

 

 

2.2           Reception and Display at the Smithsonian – S.McKellar

 

S.McKellar reported that a Local Arrangements Committee had been formed, consisting of S.Phillips, J.Winchester, J.Watson and S.McKellar.  This committee had a conference call to discuss the reception, the date, and possible funding strategies to cover its cost.  J.Winchester will be presenting this committee’s recommendations to the 2004 ASAIO Program Committee.    This will be the recommendations of the Local Arrangements Committee:

 

(1)         Event Description -- an evening at the Smithsonian's National Museum of
American History, with special exhibit on artificial organs plus access to 3
floors of museum, to include food, drink, entertainment with invited guests
Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Bill Frist, and/or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

(2)         Event Date -- recommend Friday evening (June 18)

 

(3)         Event Funding -- to raise funding to cover the costs of this event, we
recommend several approaches:

 

a.       Industry sponsorship -- showcase history of companies in exchange for $10K
donation -- list of companies to be determined later with ASAIO Program
Committee

b.       Admission charge to ASAIO members -- flat rate of $50 per person (ASAIO
member and guests)

c.       Foundations -- possibly Whitaker Foundation or other Foundations who might
match funding raised from other sources

d.       ASAIO - allocate $25K to their organization's 50th anniversary event

e.       Local Arrangements Committee would like to invite several other
Washington residents to join the committee -- George Schreiner, Bill DeVries,
Paul Kimmel

 

R.Kondratas and J.Chelnick re-stated their offer to present objects in a One-Evening-Only exhibit for the ASAIO membership.  This would be a special opportunity to see the artificial organ collection – objects in storage and not normally seen by the public – for the ASAIO evening.  For the next meeting, a list of objects will be circulated to the Work Group for discussion of that display.

 

P.Portner inquired if ICMT would consider loaning some of its objects from its strong collection for the exhibit.  Y.Nose offered to loan ICMT objects and any other means of assistance their museum can offer for this event.

 

 

2.3           Behind-the-Scenes Tour

 

The group agreed that Behind-the-Scenes tour would be redundant in light of the Reception and Display planned.  M.Kurusz commented that he had taken the Behind-the-Scenes tour last year, and had found it interesting.  Unfortunately it was only a small group (15-18 people) who signed up for the tour.

 

 

 

 

2.4           Project Bionics Recommendations to the 2004 ASAIO Program Committee

 

S.McKellar recapped the discussions regarding the 50th Anniversary Activities in terms of the recommendations the Work Group would like to make to the 2004 ASAIO Program Committee.  S.McKellar will make these recommendations to the Program Committee on behalf of Project Bionics   See attached one-page Recommendations to 2004 ASAIO Program Committee for 50th Anniversary Activities.

 

 

            3.0  Project Activities Update

 

3.1            Dr Clarence Dennis Papers – S.McKellar

 

S.McKellar was pleased to report that she and P.Theerman will be traveling to Minneapolis/St.Paul on October 23-24 to box and ship Dr Dennis’s personal papers to the National Library of Medicine for preservation and access to researchers.

 

 

3.2            New Acquisitions

 

J.Chelnick reported on the new acquisitions to the Smithsonian collections as a result of Project Bionics, including the FDA’s Yorick and the AbioCor artificial heart implanted in Mr. Robert Tools.  Both of these items will be on display in the new year in the new exhibit “Inventing Ourselves.”  Additional historical material is also being collected from the AbioCor artificial heart trial.

 

M.Kurusz provided a copy of the most recent issue of Perfusion which contained the historical papers on the 50th anniversary of cardiopulmonary bypass.  Project Bionics also received tapes (four in total) of the Jefferson Medical College’s one-day symposium on John Gibbon and his heart-lung machine.  We thank M.Kurusz for securing all the release forms so that this tape may be deposited in the Project Bionics Documentation Collection #841 at the Smithsonian NMAH Archives.

 

 

3.3            Pioneer Interview Series – S.McKellar

 

Last year, our Work Group identified two pioneers which whom to conduct video interviews.  These two pioneers were Dr Willem, with whom we conducted a 2-day interview, and Dr. Clarence Dennis, with whom an interview was not possible but the collection of his papers was possible.  A discussion followed as to the next two interviews we should aim to conduct this year. 

 

It was agreed that the next interview should be with Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz in his research lab in Detroit.  P.Portner and M.Kurusz agreed to serve as co-interviewers.  A working group of P.Portner, M.Kurusz, R.Kondratas, P.Theerman, J.Chelnick and S.McKellar will begin planning logistics and assembling research materials and possible interview questions for this interview. 

 

It was also agreed that, while in Michigan with a film crew, we should also interview R.Bartlett in his research lab in Ann Arbor.  R.Bartlett suggested contacting R.Hershel to conduct the interview.  A working group of R.Bartlett, R.Hershel, R.Kondratas, P.Theerman, J.Chelnick and S.McKellar will discuss logistics and interview approach.

 

At the suggestion of R.Kondratas, the next video interview will be with Y.Nose at Baylor College of Medicine and ICMT in Houston.  The Work Group agreed, and Y.Nose kindly consented.  It was suggested that D.Olsen would be a good interviewer for this interview.  Y.Nose suggested that Project Bionics also interview M.DeBakey and/or D.Cooley while in Houston.  While there has been several interviews by various medical groups with M.DeBakey, it was agreed that we should consider this after conducting more research.  S.McKellar will contact D.Olsen about the possibility of interviewing Y.Nose, and a working group will be struck thereafter to plan this interview upon the completion of the Michigan interviews.

 

4.0   Other Business

 

4.1              The Willem Kolff Foundation in Kampen, The Netherlands – Y.Nose

 

Herman Broers, the director of the Willem Kolff Foundation, recently contacted S.McKellar concerning the assistance of Project Bionics towards the Willlem Kolff Foundation’s objective of retaining the history of artificial organs.

 

Y.Nose reported on the recent Kolff Festival, sponsored by the Willem Kolff Foundation, that brought dialysis patients to Kampen, The Netherlands in celebration of dialysis.  Y.Nose outlined the objectives of the Foundation, including the establishment of the Kolff Festival as an annual event, the awarding of prizes to dialysis practitioners and patients, and the goal of building a museum in Kampen.

 

The Work Group agreed that Project Bionics should assist the Foundation in any way that it can, which would most likely be in kind, rather than financial support.  You can visit the Willem Kolff Foundation online at:   http://www.willemkolffstichting.nl

 

 

4.2   Gordon Research Conference on Assisted Circulation – A.Ciarkowski

 

A.Ciarkowski reported on the Gordon Research Conference on Assisted Circulation, at which he promoted Project Bionics in a poster and oral presentation.  He stated that there was much interest, and he hoped that support beyond just ASAIO members may be forthcoming.

 

 

 

5.0                 Next Meeting – March 2004

 

The next meeting is planned for March 2004 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. At the meeting, the Work Group will be able to visit the new “Re-Inventing Ourselves” exhibit, a 3-case exhibit that will display Yorick and the Abiocor total artificial heart implanted in Robert Tools.

 

 

6.0      Adjournment

 

 


 

 

PROJECT BIONICS

 

Recommendations to 2004 ASAIO Program Committee for 50th Anniversary Activities

 

As per Project Bionics Work Group meeting, October 10, 2003

 

 

1.0               Historical Papers for 2004 ASAIO Program

 

Historical overviews/introductions to each session – plenary and/or concurrent sessions – to tie into theme of conference of Past, Present and Future – spread over 3 days

 

Invite respected ASAIO members to present historical overview of their particular field – history related to today’s achievements, ending with future direction – 30 to 45 minute talks – to be considered:

 

·         “Early Years of ASAIO” by George Schreiner

·         Renal – J.Winchester

·         Extracorporeal mechanical circulatory support – M.Kurusz

·         Implantable cardiac devices – P.Portner

·         Membrane oxygenators / lungs – R.Bartlett

·         Biomaterials / bioengineering – E.Leonards

·         ApheresisY.Nose

·         Overview of field / history project – S.McKellar

 

 

2.0              Reception and Display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

 

Complete cooperation/ facilitation of Work Group members in planning reception at The Smithsonian

 

Special One-Evening Display on Artificial Organs organized and mounted by Smithsonian curators for ASAIO reception

 

 

3.0              Gold Volume – “Celebrating 50 Years” of the ASAIO Society and Journal

 

Gold Volume to celebrate past 50 years of ASAIO society and of ASAIO Journal – to include most significant and most representative papers published in the ASAIO Journal in the past 50 years

 

Table of Contents (Draft)

·         “Early Years of ASAIO” by George Schreiner (in hand now)

·         The original ASAIO members (67 members)

·         List of past 50 ASAIO meetings

·         List of past 50 ASAIO Presidents

·         Photo Essay

·         Nominated “Best Papers” in ASAIO Journal over past 50 years

·         Selected “Best Papers” in ASAIO Journal reprinted

 

Back Pocket – CD-Rom with full text of papers nominated as “Best Papers” in ASAIO Journal

 

Gold Volume as part of Registration Kit – add $25 to Meeting Registration to cover costs – additional copies will be made available for sale at meeting