February 12, 2009 - Dr. Willem Johan Kolff, the world’s most prolific inventor of artificial organs, passed away Feb. 11 at the age of 97 in Philadelphia.
Among Dr. Kolff’s many accomplishments were the artificial kidney, heart-lung machine, artificial eye, artificial ear and artificial arm. However, he was best known for his decades of work that led to the Jarvik 7 artificial heart.