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Dr. Willem J. Kolff

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Doctor

The Resume

    (February 14, 1911-February 11, 2009)
    Pioneered the first practical use of artificial kidney dialysis machine and artificial heart.

Why he might be annoying:

    His goal was to be a zookeeper, but his father, a physician, persuaded him to study medicine.
    He did not patent his kidney dialysis machine and just one patent for an early artificial heart.
    Ironically he pioneered the artificial heart and was born on Valentine's Day.
    Although ranked Commander in the Order of Oranje-Nassau by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands he for the U.S.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He earned his doctorate in the Netherlands (1946) and received nine honorary doctorates.
    He worked on dialysis underground during nazi occupation of the Netherlands (1941-45).
    His kidney dialysis machine saved its first patient (September 1945).
    He started work on the artificial heart in the U.S. (1950).
    He successfully implanted an artificial heart into an animal (1957).
    A modified artificial heart was implanted into Barney Clark who was hours from death, his eventual death, 112 days later, was due to other organ failures (1982).
    He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (1985).
    Research: Tim Howard

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 23 Votes: 73.91% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 27 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 41 Votes: 36.59% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 25 Votes: 32.00% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 101 Votes: 45.54% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 122 Votes: 40.98% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 337 Votes: 42.43% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 333 Votes: 42.64% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 775 Votes: 42.19% Annoying
    In 2002, Out of 1415 Votes: 36.75% Annoying