Which century saw the development of the kidney dialysis machine to perform external kidney function?

Which century saw the development of the kidney dialysis machine to perform external kidney function?

• A. 17th
• B. 20th
• C. 18th
• D. 19th

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is when technology advanced enough to filter blood outside the body, mimicking kidney function. The key milestone happened in the 20th century. Dutch physician Willem Kolff built the first workable artificial kidney in the 1940s and performed the first successful dialysis on a patient in 1945, demonstrating that blood could be filtered externally. Over the ensuing decades, dialysis machines became more reliable and widespread, solidifying external kidney function as a medical reality. Earlier centuries did not have the necessary technology to achieve this, while the 20th century marks the birth and maturation of modern dialysis.

The main idea here is when technology advanced enough to filter blood outside the body, mimicking kidney function. The key milestone happened in the 20th century. Dutch physician Willem Kolff built the first workable artificial kidney in the 1940s and performed the first successful dialysis on a patient in 1945, demonstrating that blood could be filtered externally. Over the ensuing decades, dialysis machines became more reliable and widespread, solidifying external kidney function as a medical reality. Earlier centuries did not have the necessary technology to achieve this, while the 20th century marks the birth and maturation of modern dialysis.