Hemodialysis established itself as the treatment of choice worldwide for chronic and acute kidney failure after the early successes in Seattle. Membranes, dialyzers and dialysis machines were continually improved and produced industrially in everincreasing numbers. A major step forward was the development of the hollow-fiber dialyzer by the American Richard Stewart in 1964. This technology replaced the until-then traditional membranous tubes and flat membranes with a number of capillary-sized hollow membranes. This procedure allows for the production of dialyzers with a surface area large enough to fulfill the demands of efficient dialysis treatment.

The development of the related industrial manufacturing technology was completed by Dow Chemical between 1964 and 1967, with Dr. Ben Lipps, current Chairman of the Management Board of Fresenius Medical Care, playing a significant role. This new technology allowed the production in subsequent years of large numbers of dialyzers at a reasonable price. The typical hollow-fiber dialyzers of today – which are equipped with a more effective and better-tolerated membrane made primarily from synthetic polymers – are still based on these concepts.



The first family of hollow-fiber dialyzers (C-DAK, “Cordis Dow Artificial Kidney“)


As the clinical use of hemodialysis became increasingly widespread, scientists were better able to investigate the unique attributes of patients with chronic kidney disease. In contrast to the early years of dialysis presented here, the lack of adequate treatment methods or technologies is no longer a challenge in the treatment of renal patients. The present challenges are multifold and come from the sheer number of patients requiring dialysis treatment, the complications resulting from years of dialysis treatment, and a growing population of patients that presents demographic as well as medical challenges; a population that would be without help were it not for the innovative researchers presented here.



The current generation of dialyzers produced by Fresenius Medical Care