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Biomedical Engineering

Also Known As Bioengineering
Mechanical Engineering

Biomedical engineering applies the principles and tools of engineering to biology and medicine, designing devices, diagnostics and materials that interact directly with the human body. Its output ranges from the cardiac pacemaker and the artificial heart valve to medical imaging systems such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The field crystallized as a distinct discipline in the decades after the Second World War, as growing collaboration between engineers and physicians turned ad hoc medical devices into a formal engineering specialty with its own societies, journals and university departments.

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
1968
Dated here to the founding of the Biomedical Engineering Society in 1968, a commonly cited marker; the collaboration between engineers and physicians that produced the field's early devices, such as the cardiac pacemaker in the 1950s, predates any one founding date by more than a decade.
Core Concern
Applying engineering design and analysis to biological systems, medical devices and healthcare technology. 1
Core Principle
Engineer to the constraints of a living body rather than a workshop: biocompatibility, sterilizability and long term reliability inside a warm, wet, chemically active system the designer does not fully control. 1
Learn More
When Engineering Learned to Work Inside the Body

This article records tradition as it has been passed down and reported. Its sources are not yet part of the atlas's verified catalogue.

Biomedical engineering exists because certain problems in medicine are, underneath the biology, engineering problems: a heart that beats irregularly needs a reliable, miniaturized electrical timer; a failing valve needs a mechanical replacement that will open and close without fatigue for decades inside a hostile, moving, salt-water environment; a diagnosis that would otherwise require cutting a patient open needs a way to see inside the body without doing so. The cardiac pacemaker and the artificial heart valve solved the first two problems by putting a device permanently inside the body, engineered to survive there. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography solved the third by building instruments that could see inside a living body from the outside, converting physics most patients will never need to understand into pictures a physician can read directly. None of these were built by physicians alone or by engineers alone; each required the two disciplines to solve the same problem from opposite ends, which is the entire reason biomedical engineering had to become its own field rather than staying a set of favors engineers occasionally did for doctors.

How a Postwar Collaboration Became a Discipline

This article records tradition as it has been passed down and reported. Its sources are not yet part of the atlas's verified catalogue.

Biomedical engineering crystallized as its own discipline only in the decades after the Second World War, as engineers and physicians who had been solving medical problems ad hoc, one device at a time, built the shared societies, journals and university departments that turn a set of individual collaborations into a formal field. That formalization mattered because a device meant to live inside a human body for years cannot be engineered the way an ordinary machine part is: it has to survive an environment that is warm, wet, chemically active and constantly moving, without provoking the body's own immune defenses into rejecting it. Titanium became one of the field's standard answers to that problem, chosen for surgical implants because a tenacious natural oxide film makes it resist corrosion in the body and because it does not trigger the immune reactions many other structurally strong metals do, the same biocompatibility that makes it valuable in aerospace airframes for an unrelated reason: strength that does not carry unnecessary weight. A discipline that began by borrowing whatever material happened to work ended up needing materials science, and metallurgy in particular, as one of its permanent neighbors rather than an occasional favor.

FAQs

Is biomedical engineering the same as biological engineering?

Biomedical engineering is a specialization within the broader field of biological engineering, applying engineering design and analysis specifically to biological systems, medical devices and healthcare technology, including prosthetics, diagnostic imaging, implants and therapeutic devices. Biological engineering additionally covers agriculture, environmental remediation, food production and industrial biotechnology, applications outside medicine that a biomedical engineer's own work does not usually touch.
Connections

Associated With

Artificial Heart, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Cobalt-Chromium Alloy, Materials

Cobalt-chromium alloys are a core biomedical engineering implant material, a second field beyond its primary materials-engineering field.

Cochlear Implant, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Defibrillator, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Myoelectric Prosthesis, Inventions

Field-to-technology association verified live; FROM end owned by fields section

Pacemaker, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

PEEK, Materials

PEEK is widely used in biomedical engineering for spinal fusion cages and orthopedic implants, a second field beyond its primary chemical-engineering field.

Prosthesis, Inventions

Field-to-technology association verified live; FROM end owned by fields section

Prosthetic Heart Valve, Inventions

Field-to-technology association verified live; FROM end owned by fields section

Prosthetic Limb, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Stethoscope, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Titanium, Materials

Titanium's biocompatibility and corrosion resistance make it a standard material for surgical implants and prosthetics.

Source Technology: A World HistoryDaniel R. Headrick

Built the first working dialysis machine.

X-Ray Machine, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Includes

Source Artificial Heart (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Automated insulin delivery system (Wikipedia)
Source Automated external defibrillator (Wikipedia)
Source Biofeedback (Wikipedia)
Source 3D bioprinting (Wikipedia)
Source Brain implant (Wikipedia)
Source Brain-computer interface (Wikipedia)
Source Cardiac catheterization - Wikipedia
Source Cardiotocography (Wikipedia)
Source Cochlear Implant (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source CT Scan (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Contact Lens (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Continuous glucose monitor (Wikipedia)
Source Continuous positive airway pressure, Wikipedia
Dean Kamen, Engineers
Source National Inventors Hall of Fame: Dean Kamen (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
Source Deep brain stimulation (Wikipedia)
Source Defibrillation (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Dental implant (Wikipedia)
Earl Bakken, Engineers
Source Earl Bakken (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Electrocardiography - Wikipedia
Source Electroencephalography (Wikipedia)
Source Electromyography (Wikipedia)
Endoscope, Inventions
Source Endoscopy (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Francis Rynd
Source Frank Pantridge (Wikipedia)
Source Glucose Meter (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
God helmet, Inventions
Source God helmet (Wikipedia)
Source Godfrey Hounsfield (Nobel Prize)
Source Graeme Clark (Lemelson-MIT)
Source Hancock Aortic Tissue Valve (Wikipedia)
Source Hearing Aid (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Cardiopulmonary bypass
Source Kolff, Willem J. (Case Western Reserve Encyclopedia of Cleveland History)
Source Hippocratic bench (Wikipedia)
Source Holter monitor (Wikipedia)
Source Hypodermic needle (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator - Wikipedia
Source Infusion pump - Wikipedia
Source Insulin Pump (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Intraocular lens (Wikipedia)
Iron Lung, Inventions
Source Iron lung (Wikipedia)
Source Isochronic tones (Wikipedia)
Source John Charnley (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Julio C. Palmaz (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Source Keratoprosthesis (Wikipedia)
Source Laparoscopy (Wikipedia)
Source Laryngoscopy
Source Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Medical ultrasound (Wikipedia)

Showing 1 to 50 of 82 in Includes, page 1 of 2.

Long-Form Articles

Open Questions

Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source
Biomedical Engineering (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationLead section, opening definition of biomedical engineering
Quote, Lead section, opening definition of biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare applications (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic purposes).
View the Source
Technology: A World History
Daniel R. Headrick, Oxford University Press, 2009Associated With: TitaniumView the Source
Kolff, Willem J. (Case Western Reserve Encyclopedia of Cleveland History)
Case Western Reserve University
  • Includes: The Dialysis Machine, main biographical entry
    In 1943, Kolff created the 'rotating drum kidney (RDK),' which is regarded as the first working artificial kidney.
  • Includes: Hemodialysis Machine, Article
    In 1943, Kolff created the "rotating drum kidney (RDK)," which is regarded as the first working artificial kidney.
View the Source
Earl Bakken (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Earl BakkenView the Source
John Charnley (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: John CharnleyView the Source
Philip Drinker (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Includes: Philip Drinker, Inductee page
Quote, Includes: Philip Drinker, Inductee page
a respirator that has helped save lives, especially those afflicted with polio and other cases of paralysis
View the Source
Julio C. Palmaz (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Includes: Julio C. Palmaz, Inductee page
Quote, Includes: Julio C. Palmaz, Inductee page
Julio Palmaz invented the first commercially-successful intravascular stent
View the Source
Stethoscope (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Stethoscope, Categories
Quote, Includes: Stethoscope, Categories
Medical equipment
View the Source
Defibrillation (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Defibrillator, Categories
Quote, Includes: Defibrillator, Categories
Medical devices
View the Source
Hypodermic needle (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Hypodermic Needle, Categories
Quote, Includes: Hypodermic Needle, Categories
Drug delivery devices
View the Source
Pacemaker (Wikipedia)
Includes: Pacemaker, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pacemaker, Categories
Biomedical engineering
View the Source
Cochlear Implant (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Cochlear Implant, Categories
Quote, Includes: Cochlear Implant, Categories
Artificial organs
View the Source
Insulin Pump (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Insulin Pump, Categories
Quote, Includes: Insulin Pump, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Artificial Heart (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Artificial Heart, Categories
Quote, Includes: Artificial Heart, Categories
Artificial organs
View the Source
Sphygmomanometer (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Sphygmomanometer, Categories
Quote, Includes: Sphygmomanometer, Categories
Medical equipment
View the Source
Prosthesis (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Prosthesis, Categories
    Biomedical engineering
  • Includes: Myoelectric Prosthesis, Lead section
    In medicine, a prosthesis (pl.: prostheses; from Ancient Greek: πρόσθεσις, romanized: prósthesis, lit. 'addition, application, attachment'), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (congenital disorder).
  • Includes: Prosthetic Limb, Lead section
    In medicine, a prosthesis (pl.: prostheses; from Ancient Greek: πρόσθεσις, romanized: prósthesis, lit. 'addition, application, attachment'), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (congenital disorder).
View the Source
Stent (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Stent, Categories
Quote, Includes: Stent, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Infusion pump - Wikipedia
Includes: Infusion Pump, Categories
Quote, Includes: Infusion Pump, Categories
Drug delivery devices
View the Source
Visual prosthesis - Wikipedia
Includes: Retinal Implant, Categories
Quote, Includes: Retinal Implant, Categories
Artificial organs
View the Source
Ventricular assist device - Wikipedia
Includes: Ventricular Assist Device, Categories
Quote, Includes: Ventricular Assist Device, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Hip replacement - Wikipedia
Includes: Total Hip Replacement, Categories
Quote, Includes: Total Hip Replacement, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator - Wikipedia
Includes: Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator, Categories
Quote, Includes: Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Artificial heart valve - Wikipedia
Includes: Prosthetic Heart Valve, Categories
Quote, Includes: Prosthetic Heart Valve, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Cardiopulmonary bypass
Includes: Heart-Lung Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Heart-Lung Machine, Categories
Medical equipment
View the Source
Intraocular lens (Wikipedia)
Includes: Intraocular Lens, Categories
Quote, Includes: Intraocular Lens, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Nebulizer (Wikipedia)
Includes: Nebulizer, Categories
Quote, Includes: Nebulizer, Categories
Drug delivery devices
View the Source
Laryngoscopy
Includes: Laryngoscope, Categories
Quote, Includes: Laryngoscope, Categories
Medical equipment
View the Source
Otoscope (Wikipedia)
Includes: Otoscope, Categories
Quote, Includes: Otoscope, Categories
Medical equipment
View the Source
Continuous glucose monitor (Wikipedia)
Includes: Continuous Glucose Monitor, Categories
Quote, Includes: Continuous Glucose Monitor, Categories
Medical devices
View the Source
Automated insulin delivery system (Wikipedia)
Includes: Artificial Pancreas, Categories
Quote, Includes: Artificial Pancreas, Categories
Artificial organs
View the Source
Spinal cord stimulator (Wikipedia)
Includes: Spinal Cord Stimulator, Categories
Quote, Includes: Spinal Cord Stimulator, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Brain-computer interface (Wikipedia)
Includes: Brain-Computer Interface, Categories
Quote, Includes: Brain-Computer Interface, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Electromyography (Wikipedia)
Includes: Electromyograph, Categories
Quote, Includes: Electromyograph, Categories
Biomedical engineering
View the Source
Keratoprosthesis (Wikipedia)
Includes: Keratoprosthesis, Categories
Quote, Includes: Keratoprosthesis, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Dental implant (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Dental Implant, Categories
Quote, Includes: Dental Implant, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Brain implant (Wikipedia)
Includes: Brain implant, Categories
Quote, Includes: Brain implant, Categories
Implants (medicine)
View the Source
Medical Ventilator (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Medical Ventilator, Categories
Quote, Includes: Medical Ventilator, Categories
Medical pumps
View the Source
CT Scan (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Computed Tomography, Categories
Quote, Includes: Computed Tomography, Categories
Diagnostic medical imaging
View the Source
Endoscopy (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Endoscope, Categories
Quote, Includes: Endoscope, Categories
Diagnostic gastroenterology
View the Source
Glucose Meter (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Glucose Meter, Categories
Quote, Includes: Glucose Meter, Categories
Diabetes-related supplies and medical equipment
View the Source
Electrocardiography - Wikipedia
Includes: Electrocardiograph, Categories
Quote, Includes: Electrocardiograph, Categories
Diagnostic cardiology
View the Source
Positron emission tomography - Wikipedia
Includes: Positron Emission Tomography, Categories
Quote, Includes: Positron Emission Tomography, Categories
3D nuclear medical imaging
View the Source
Cardiac catheterization - Wikipedia
Includes: Cardiac Catheterization, Categories
Quote, Includes: Cardiac Catheterization, Categories
Diagnostic cardiology
View the Source
Robotic surgery (Wikipedia)
Includes: Surgical Robot, Categories
Quote, Includes: Surgical Robot, Categories
Health informatics
View the Source
Pulse oximetry - Wikipedia
Includes: Pulse Oximeter, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pulse Oximeter, Categories
Cardiology
View the Source
Automated external defibrillator (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Automated External Defibrillator, Categories
Quote, Includes: Automated External Defibrillator, Categories
Emergency medical equipment
View the Source
Holter monitor (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Holter Monitor, Categories
Quote, Includes: Holter Monitor, Categories
Diagnostic cardiology
View the Source
Cardiotocography (Wikipedia)
Includes: Cardiotocograph, Categories
Quote, Includes: Cardiotocograph, Categories
Medical monitoring
View the Source
Laparoscopy (Wikipedia)
Includes: Laparoscope, Categories
Quote, Includes: Laparoscope, Categories
Medical treatments
View the Source
Hancock Aortic Tissue Valve (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hancock Aortic Tissue Valve, Categories
Quote, Includes: Hancock Aortic Tissue Valve, Categories
Cardiology
View the Source
Neurofeedback (Wikipedia)
Includes: Neurofeedback, Categories
Quote, Includes: Neurofeedback, Categories
Medical tests
View the Source
God helmet (Wikipedia)
Includes: God helmet, Categories
Quote, Includes: God helmet, Categories
Neurophysiology
View the Source
Teeth-cleaning twig (Wikipedia)
Includes: Teeth-cleaning twig, Categories
Quote, Includes: Teeth-cleaning twig, Categories
Dental equipment
View the Source
X-ray machine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: X-Ray Machine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: X-Ray Machine, Lead section
In medical applications, X-ray machines are used by radiographers to acquire x-ray images of the internal structures (e.g., bones) of living organisms, and also in sterilization.
View the Source
Contact Lens (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Contact Lens, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Contact Lens, Lead section
Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide in 2012, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons.
View the Source
Hearing Aid (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Hearing Aid, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Hearing Aid, Lead section
Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations.
View the Source
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Lead section
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body.
View the Source
3D bioprinting (Wikipedia)
Includes: Bioprinting, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Bioprinting, Lead section
Generally, 3D bioprinting uses a layer-by-layer method to deposit materials known as bio-inks to create tissue-like structures that are later used in various medical and tissue engineering fields. 3D bioprinting covers an extensive range of bioprinting techniques and biomaterials.
View the Source
Deep brain stimulation (Wikipedia)
Includes: Deep Brain Stimulator, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Deep Brain Stimulator, Lead section
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a type of neurostimulation therapy in which an implantable pulse generator is surgically implanted below the skin of the chest and connected by leads to the brain to deliver controlled electrical impulses.
View the Source
Medical ultrasound (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Ultrasound Machine, Lead section
    Medical ultrasound includes diagnostic techniques (mainly imaging) using ultrasound, as well as therapeutic applications of ultrasound.
  • Includes: Medical Ultrasound, Introduction
    Medical ultrasound includes diagnostic techniques (mainly imaging) using ultrasound, as well as therapeutic applications of ultrasound.
View the Source
Robert Jarvik (Wikipedia)
Includes: Robert Jarvik, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Robert Jarvik, Introduction
Robert Koffler Jarvik (May 11, 1946, May 26, 2025) was an American scientist, researcher and businessman known for his role in developing the Jarvik-7 artificial heart.
View the Source
Electroencephalography (Wikipedia)
Includes: Electroencephalograph, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Electroencephalograph, Introduction
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method to record an electrogram of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain.
View the Source
Iron lung (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Iron Lung, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Iron Lung, Introduction
An iron lung is negative pressure ventilator and mechanical respirator which encloses most of the patient's body.
View the Source
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (Wikipedia)
Includes: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Introduction
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of extracorporeal life support, operated by a perfusionist, providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to people whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply (perfusion) to sustain life.
View the Source
Hippocratic bench (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hippocratic bench, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Hippocratic bench, Introduction
It represented an early understanding of applying controlled force and counter-force to achieve anatomical realignment in a medical context.
View the Source
Biofeedback (Wikipedia)
Includes: Biofeedback, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Biofeedback, Introduction
Some of the processes that can be controlled include brainwaves, muscle tone, skin conductance, heart rate and pain perception.
View the Source
Isochronic tones (Wikipedia)
Includes: Isochronic Tones, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Isochronic Tones, Introduction
Isochronic tones are regular beats of a single tone that are used alongside monaural beats and binaural beats in the process called brainwave entrainment (synchronization of brainwaves).
View the Source
Wheelchair (Wikipedia)
Includes: Wheelchair, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Wheelchair, Introduction
It is used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditions.
View the Source
Raymond Damadian (Wikipedia)
Includes: Raymond Damadian, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Raymond Damadian, Introduction
Raymond Vahan Damadian (Armenian: Ռեյմոնդ Վահան Դամադյան; March 16, 1936, August 3, 2022) was an American physician, medical researcher, and inventor of the first nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scanning machine.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Francis Rynd
Includes: Francis Rynd, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Francis Rynd, Introduction
Francis Rynd (1801-19 July 1861) was an Irish medical doctor known for inventing the hypodermic needle used in syringes in 1844, which also led to the first recorded injection.
View the Source
Frank Pantridge (Wikipedia)
Includes: Frank Pantridge, Introduction
Quote, Includes: Frank Pantridge, Introduction
James Francis Pantridge, (3 October 1916-26 December 2004), usually known as Frank Pantridge, was a Northern Irish physician, cardiologist, and professor who transformed emergency medicine and paramedic services with the invention of the portable defibrillator.
View the Source
Wilson Greatbatch (Wikipedia)
Includes: Wilson Greatbatch, Article body
Quote, Includes: Wilson Greatbatch, Article body
The Chardack-Greatbatch pacemaker used Mallory mercuric oxide-zinc cells (mercury battery) for its energy source, driving a two transistor, transformer coupled blocking oscillator circuit, all encapsulated in epoxy resin, then coupled to electrodes placed into the myocardium of the patient's heart.
View the Source
Continuous positive airway pressure, Wikipedia
Includes: CPAP Machine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: CPAP Machine, Lead section
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of positive airway pressure (PAP) ventilation in which a flow of air with pressure greater than atmospheric pressure is continuously applied to the upper respiratory tract of a person.
View the Source
Willem Einthoven (ETHW)
Includes: Willem Einthoven, Biography
Quote, Includes: Willem Einthoven, Biography
Such was the insatiable thirst for knowledge that drove the man who would become famous as the inventor of the electrocardiogram (EKG) , one of the most important medical inventions of all time.
View the Source
Godfrey Hounsfield (Nobel Prize)
Includes: Godfrey Hounsfield, Facts
Quote, Includes: Godfrey Hounsfield, Facts
During the 1960s Godfrey Hounsfield developed an apparatus in which clusters of X-ray beams sent through the body from different angles are registered when the have passed the body.
View the Source
Graeme Clark (Lemelson-MIT)
Includes: Graeme Clark, Profile
Quote, Includes: Graeme Clark, Profile
Australian physician, scientist, and inventor Graeme Milbourne Clark changed the lives of tens of thousands of hearing-impaired individuals with his creation of the multi-channel cochlear implant.
View the Source
Michel Mirowski (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
Includes: Michel Mirowski, Inductee page
Quote, Includes: Michel Mirowski, Inductee page
Michel Mirowski conceived of the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in the 1960s after his mentor died of a heart arrhythmia.
View the Source
National Inventors Hall of Fame: Dean Kamen (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
National Inventors Hall of FameIncludes: Dean Kamen, Inductee page
Quote, Includes: Dean Kamen, Inductee page
Among his inventions in the medical field are a portable peritoneal dialysis machine and the IBOT, a sophisticated mobility aid capable of climbing stairs and raising the user to eye-level with a standing person.
View the Source
Werner Forssmann (Nobel Prize)
Includes: Werner Forssmann, Biographical
Quote, Includes: Werner Forssmann, Biographical
It was here that he was the first to develop a technique for the catheterization of the heart.
View the Source
Open Questions (1 open question)
Who deserves primary credit for the first implantable cardiac pacemaker: Rune Elmqvist and Åke Senning, whose device was implanted in Sweden in 1958, or Wilson Greatbatch, whose independently developed device entered use in the United States in 1960?

The first clinical implantation of a fully implantable pacemaker took place in Sweden on 8 October 1958, using a device designed by Rune Elmqvist and surgeon Åke Senning, but it failed within three hours and needed rapid replacement. Wilson Greatbatch's independently engineered implantable pacemaker, using a mercury-battery design, entered use in the United States in April 1960 and proved durable enough for his patient to live a further eighteen months.

What would resolve this Whether the first, short-lived implant or the first durable design founded modern implantable pacemaker engineering is treated differently by different national and disciplinary histories, and no single source resolves which contribution carries primary credit.
History of TechnologyWikipedia contributors, Artificial Cardiac Pacemaker (Wikipedia)
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