PROJECT BIONICS

Meeting Notes

Re:                  Project Bionics Meeting at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Date:               March 26, 2004

Participants:     R. Bartlett, J.Kantrowitz, J.Chelnick,  M.Kurusz, S.McKellar, P.Theerman.

 

Regrets:         K.Burke, M. Beyer, A.Ciarkowski,  E. Friedman, B.Hattler, R.Kondratas, W.Murphy, L.Golding, C.Kjellstrand, P.Malchesky, G.Rainer, W.Richenbacher, Y.Nose, D.Olsen, P.Portner, J.Watson.

1.0           Welcome and Approval of Agenda – R.Bartlett

 

 

2.0           ASAIO 50th Anniversary Activities – June 2004

 

2.1           Gold Volume – R.Bartlett

 

R.Bartlett reported that the Gold Volume is near completion and will be ready by publisher’s deadline of mid-April to print in time for the ASAIO meeting in June.  A mock-up copy of the Gold Volume was distributed which included: 

(1)     Introduction “50 Years of ASAIO”

(2)     Reminiscences by George Schreiner – reprinting his 1979 “25 Years’ article and a new essay on “50 Years of ASAIO”

(3)     ASAIO Past Presidents and ASAIO photos 

(4)     A Selective Timeline

(5)     Top 120 ASAIO Transactions/ Journal papers (listing)

(6)     Top 25 ASAIO Transactions/ Journal papers – commentaries and reprint of each article

 

R.Bartlett reported that he received four different estimates from publishers before deciding to go with Sheridan Publishers in Ann Arbor who will print the approx. 350-page book for about $7/ book in hardcase.  Since he had worked with them before, he knows they will do a good job.    He needs only provide them with a camera-ready copy of the book by deadline.

 

R.Bartlett reported that in conversations with ASAIO President T.Depner, ASAIO has agreed to pay for 800 copies at $7 a piece so that they will be included in registration packages at the 2004 meeting.  R.Bartlett suggested printing another 200 copies to sell, and we will have order forms at the meeting.  Sheridan Publishers can run off additional copies if needed.

 

After some discussion, it was agreed that the title of the publication – referred to as the Gold Volume in our planning and preparation stages – will be “50 Years of Artificial Organs from Discovery to Clinical Use” and will have the ASAIO logo on the front cover.

 

 

Questions that arose included:

 

(1)     Issue of Copyright – who has copyright and can we reprint these articles?  R.Bartlett answered that ASAIO owns copyright so reprinting articles from the Transactions/ Journal is not a problem.  P.Theerman asked about the commentaries and suggested getting copyright permission from authors of commentaries.  It was agreed that this was a good idea.  S.McKellar will email commentaries individually to secure their permission.

 

(2)     Supplement to the ASAIO Journal – could we make this a supplement to the Journal so that people could reference this? – R.Bartlett and M.Kurusz agreed to raise this question with J.Zwishenberger, Editor of the Journal to see about this.  If it is a supplement, does this mean that we have to provide free copies to Lippencott for their subscribers to the Journal?  R.Bartlett will also look into requesting an ISBN number for the book for reference purposes.

 

(3)     Timeline – this was indeed selective and S.McKellar asked all Work Group members to review timeline, to edit any errors, to add omissions and please email this to projectbionics@asaio.com as soon as possible.  A copy of this timeline is sent as a separate attachment to these meeting notes.

 

At the June meeting, Project Bionics will have an information table at which the Gold Volume will be displayed.  It was suggested that we have Survey Responses to the Gold Volume – from ASAIO members as well as the authors of the nominated papers.  S.McKellar to follow up on this.

 

All agreed that the Gold Volume was a good first step towards the next publication – the Milestones Publications – which will include papers from all journals.  R.Bartlett reported that he is working on a grant to submit to the NLM Book Publications program for a grant to help prepare this Milestones Publications.

 

The Work Group thanked R.Bartlett for all his hard work on the Gold Volume and making it a reality.  We are sure that ASAIO members will enjoy the publication.

 

 

2.2           History  Component of 2004 ASAIO Meeting Program – S.McKellar

 

S.McKellar distributed a preliminary program of the 2004 ASAIO meeting, downloaded from the new ASAIO website.  She drew the Work Group’s attention to the various sections which are addressing the history of the society and was grateful to the program committee for this. 

 

 

2.3           Reception at Smithsonian Institution – S.McKellar

 

S.McKellar reported that the ASAIO Board approved the Friday evening Reception at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, which will replace the usual Thursday evening welcome reception at the hotel.  In celebrating the 50th anniversary, the reception at the Smithsonian will include a special one-evening only display of the museum’s artificial organs, plus ASAIO members will have access to tour the entire museum.  This is a closed event, open only to ASAIO members.  S.McKellar is working with K.Burke on this.

 

 

 

2.4           Artificial Organs Display at Smithsonian Institution – J.Chelnick

 

J.Chelnick described for the Work Group preliminary plans for the display.  It is not possible to display all objects (1,000 plus) in the artificial organs collection, so the display will focus on the Top 25 Milestone Papers in the Gold Volume.  We hope to display both the scientific paper along with prototype and clinical devices.  P.Theerman offered to supply reproductions of related material in the National Library of Medicine collections.  The display will be located on the 1st floor, in the rotunda area, as ASAIO guests enter the museum so that all may have time to view the objects.

 

 

3.0           Project Activities Update

 

3.1           Acquisitions at NLM – P.Theerman

 

P.Theerman reported that there are several important collections that have recently been received and are continuing to be organized by the NLM.  Currently ongoing, the library is working with the Kantrowitz lab to organize the papers for Dr Adrian Kantrowitz for future deposit at the NLM.  Last year, the Clarence Dennis papers were received (46 boxes in total) including original blueprints/drawings of an early heart-lung  machine.   P.Theerman and S.McKellar worked together to assess and box these records in Minnesota for transferal to the NLM.   More recently, the library received the records of the NIH artificial heart program (about 25 boxes in total) upon  Dr John Watson’s retirement.  These papers are currently being processed.  The prototype devices of this collection went to the NIH Museum. P.Theerman acknowledged the work of Project Bionics in facilitating the preservation of these valuable historical materials.  We hope that  the papers of other pioneers and researchers in the field will also be contributing their papers to the NLM.

 

J.Kantrowitz asked if anyone had contacted Pierre Galletti’s widow to enquire the whereabouts of his papers, suggesting that these papers would be of historical importance.  No one had.  J.Kantrowitz offered to make the initial call.  S.McKellar agreed to follow up on this. 

 

 

3.2           Pioneer Interview Series – S.McKellar

 

S.McKellar was delighted to report that Dr Adrian Kantrowitz has agreed to a one-day visit to his laboratory at which time Project Bionics may conduct a video interview with Dr Kantrowitz.  It was suggested that a date in May would be best.  M.Kurusz and P.Portner have agreed to help us prepare for and conduct this interview.  R.Kondratas will take the lead on organizing an interview script of potential questions and directions.

 

Project Bionics would also like to take the opportunity to visit the laboratory of Dr Robert Bartlett.  Dr Bartlett graciously agreed to let us do this.  S.McKellar will be looking for an appropriate videographer out the University of Ann Arbor to conduct both these interviews.

 

 

3.3           Project Bionics Website – S.McKellar

 

S.McKellar reported that we have been unsuccessful in soliciting any substantial number of narratives or stories from historical participants on our website.  This is concerning as we will need to report on our success, or lack thereof, at that same time that we would like to renew our funding with the Sloan Foundation on this.  The purpose of the Sloan funding was for ‘online documentation’ or utilization of the internet to collection narratives (stories) from historical participants towards retaining a history that might otherwise be lost.

 

J.Kantrowitz offered the following suggestion: create a pilot project of about 100 historical participants working in the field of LVAD technology and approach these individuals to capture “history in the making” – how LVAD technology is improving, moving into clinical use, and altering cardiac therapy.  We hope to email researchers, industry contacts, patients to get their ‘stories’ of how LVAD technology is making history today.  The Work Group agreed that this is a wonderful idea that should be pursued.  We hope to get a good response from which we can then report back to Sloan with more success than previously.

 

S.McKellar will draft email and link to website with short questions.  J.Kantrowitz will assist her in providing LVAD contacts and email to which to send.

 

 

4.0           Other Business

 

4.1           “Inventing Ourselves” Exhibit – J.Chelnick

 

J.Chelnick reported that a new 3-case exhibit entitled “Inventing Ourselves” recently opened and will remain open during the June meeting of ASAIO.  She described the theme and content of the display, and we agreed that ASAIO members will be interested in taking a look at this display.  In one of these cases, YORICK and the AbioCor artificial heart implanted in Robert Tools is displayed.  These acquisitions to the NMAH came about as a result of this history project, Project Bionics.

 

 

4.2           Next Meeting – Discussion

 

It was decided that there will be  a Project Bionics Work Group meeting in June at the hotel during the ASAIO meeting.  The meeting will be an open meeting to which all ASAIO members interested in working on the history project are invited.  At this time, new members will be invited to join.  We shall discuss al l the wonderful activities of the 50th anniversary meeting, organized by Project Bionics as well as discuss “next steps” – how to capitalize on the 50th anniversary interest in history to continue to collect and preserve the history of artificial organs over the next several years.

 

S.McKellar will arrange time and place for meeting at hotel.  She will email all Work Group members in advance as well as add a notice in the ASAIO meeting registration kit.

 

 

4.3           Notices in Registration Kit

 

It was agreed that several notices should be included in the ASAIO Meeting Registration packages including a notice of the new NLM exhibit “The Changing Face of Medicine” celebrating women in medicine, the new Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History exhibit “Inventing Ourselves” showcasing artificial organs and devices, as well as the Reception at the Smithsonian (with directions to the NMAH).  S.McKellar to follow-up with K.Burke on the deadline to do this.

 

 

5.0          Adjournment