Nils Alwall

Nils Alwall (October 7, 1904 – February 2, 1986[1]) was a Swedish professor at Lund University, Sweden. He was a pioneer in hemodialysis and the inventor of one of the first practical dialysis machines. Alwall pioneered the technique of ultrafiltration and introduced the principle of hemofiltration.[2][3][4] Alwall is referred to as the "father of extracorporeal blood treatment."[5]

Nils Alwall
Born(1904-10-07)October 7, 1904
Kiaby, Sweden
DiedFebruary 2, 1986(1986-02-02) (aged 81)
Lund, Sweden
Occupation(s)Professor, inventor

Artificial kidney
Dialysis machine for rabbits, Nils Alwall, 1944

Willem Johan Kolff constructed the first artificial kidney; however, it was not very useful clinically because it did not allow for removal of excess fluid. Alwall modified a similar construction to the Kolff kidney by enclosing it inside a stainless steel canister. This allowed the removal of fluids, by applying a negative pressure to the outside canister, thus making it the first truly practical device for hemodialysis. On September 3, 1946, Alwall treated his first patient in acute kidney injury, who responded well to the treatment but died of pneumonia a short while after.[6]

Alwall also was arguably the inventor of the arteriovenous shunt for dialysis. He reported this first in 1948, where he used such an arteriovenous shunt in rabbits. Subsequently, he used such shunts, made of glass, as well as his canister-enclosed dialyzer, to treat 1,500 people in kidney failure between 1946 and 1960, as reported to the First International Congress of Nephrology held in Evian in September 1960.

As of 2007, two patients for which kidney replacement therapy was initiated by Alwall in 1968 and 1971, respectively, have survived for over 35 years on hemodialysis. These patients represent two of the longest known survivors on hemodialysis worldwide.[7]

Later life

Alwall was appointed to the newly created Chair of Nephrology at Lund University in 1957. Subsequently, he collaborated with Swedish businessman Holger Crafoord to found one of the key companies that would manufacture dialysis equipment for several decades, Gambro, Inc.[4][8]

Nils Alwall Prize

In honor of Alwall's advancements and achievements, the Nils Alwall Prize is awarded every year for "Groundbreaking research in the field of kidney replacement therapy."[5]

References
  1. Kurkus, Jan (January 27, 2018). "Nils Alwall – one of precursors of dialysis treatment". Giornale Italiano di Nefrologia. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  2. Rippe, Bengt (1997). "Nordiska Njurdagar (Nordic Nephrology Days)". Hypertension, Dialysis & Clinical Nephrology. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
  3. Alwall, Nils (1997). "Nils Alwall Lecture". Hypertension, Dialysis, and Clinical Nephrology. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
  4. Carlsson, Arvid (2000). "Arvid Carlsson – The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2000". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
  5. "Nils Alwall Prize 2006 awarded to scientist at the Medical Hospital in Heidelberg". BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg. 2006. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
  6. Westling, Håkan (2005). "Nils Alwall, the artificial kidney and Gambro". Lund University. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
  7. Kurkus, Jan; Nykvist, Marie; Lindergård, Birger; Segelmark, Mårten (March 2007). "Thirty-Five Years of Hemodialysis: Two Case Reports as a Tribute to Nils Alwall". American Journal of Kidney Diseases. National Kidney Foundation. 49 (3): 471–476. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2007.01.022.
  8. "Development of Hemodialysis: From Access to Machine". Hypertension, Dialysis, and Clinical Nephrology. 2002. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
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