scheler invented the term of hemofiltration, und was co-inventor and pioneer in the development of hemofiltration. dabei wird blutwasser über eine membran abgepresst und anschließend elektrolytlösung zurückgeführt. this method was developed and applied for the first time by his assistant peter kramer in göttingen, as a technique (spontaneous filtration) which uses the intrinsic pressure of the patient's circulation for dissociating blood plasma, in order to acutely support cardiac function during cardiac failure. later the different techniques of hemofiltration (cavh, cvvh etc.) were further developed. hemofiltration was regarded by willem kolff in a letter to scheler as the next step since kolff's invention of dialysis.