Correspondence, C. Walton Lillehei to Van G. Hungerford, Sigmamotor, Inc., regarding whether pumping units can handle two blood flows simultaneously
Dublin Core
Title
Correspondence, C. Walton Lillehei to Van G. Hungerford, Sigmamotor, Inc., regarding whether pumping units can handle two blood flows simultaneously
Subject
Open Heart Surgery
Description
While conducting experimental research on blood conduction for open heart surgery in 1953, C. Walton Lillehei collaborated with Sigmamotor, Inc. of Middleport, New York to design a pump sufficient to pump blood through plastic tubing during open heart surgery.
A Sigmamotor pumping unit was used to pump blood for extracorporeal circulation during controlled cross circulation and bubble oxygenator procedures for open heart surgery at the University of Minnesota.
A Sigmamotor pumping unit was used to pump blood for extracorporeal circulation during controlled cross circulation and bubble oxygenator procedures for open heart surgery at the University of Minnesota.
Creator
C. Walton Lillehei
Source
"Sigmamotor, Inc., 1953-1964," Box 98, C. Walton Lillehei papers, uarc2000-7, University of Minnesota Archives
Publisher
University of Minnesota
Date
24-Feb-53
Contributor
Van G. Hungerford, Sigmamotor, Inc.
Rights
Use of this image is governed by U.S. and international copyright laws. Image is property of the University of Minnesota. Please contact the University of Minnesota Archives for permission to publish this image. https://special.lib.umn.edu/uarch
Format
Document
Language
eng
Identifier
oh0249
Coverage
Open Heart Surgery
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
February 24, 1953
Mr. Van G. Hungerford
Sigmamotor Inc.
3 North Main St.
Middleport, New York
Dear Sir:
I am in receipt of your price list and descriptive pro-
tocol of January 2, 1953. It appears that the Sigmamotor pump
will probably handle our problem; however, there is one feature
of our project of which I am still uncertain. It is our intention
to run 2 separate blood flows through the same pump simultaneously
using the same size tubing, for the volumes shifted must be iden-
tical (or very nearly so). The minute volume will vary from 50
to 100 ccs depending on the size of the animal used. Can your
model as described handle both flows simultaneously in such a man-
ner that they will be equal? Or will it be necessary to have a
special constructed model?
Trusting you can oblige us with this information, I await
an early reply.
Yours truly,
C. Walton Lillehei, M.D.
Associate Professor
CWL:alb
Mr. Van G. Hungerford
Sigmamotor Inc.
3 North Main St.
Middleport, New York
Dear Sir:
I am in receipt of your price list and descriptive pro-
tocol of January 2, 1953. It appears that the Sigmamotor pump
will probably handle our problem; however, there is one feature
of our project of which I am still uncertain. It is our intention
to run 2 separate blood flows through the same pump simultaneously
using the same size tubing, for the volumes shifted must be iden-
tical (or very nearly so). The minute volume will vary from 50
to 100 ccs depending on the size of the animal used. Can your
model as described handle both flows simultaneously in such a man-
ner that they will be equal? Or will it be necessary to have a
special constructed model?
Trusting you can oblige us with this information, I await
an early reply.
Yours truly,
C. Walton Lillehei, M.D.
Associate Professor
CWL:alb
Original Format
Paper
Citation
C. Walton Lillehei, “Correspondence, C. Walton Lillehei to Van G. Hungerford, Sigmamotor, Inc., regarding whether pumping units can handle two blood flows simultaneously,” Gallery, accessed November 8, 2026, https://gallerytemp.reclaim.hosting/items/show/3228.