Robert Fischell

Dr. Robert Fischell (born 1930) is a physicist, inventor, and holder of more than 200 U.S. and foreign medical patents. [ [http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/fischell.html MIT Inventor of the Week Archives.] Accessed February 22, 2007.] [ [http://www.nationalhealthmuseum.org/news/articles/newest_trustees.html "NHM Board Welcomes Renowned Health and Medical Figures as Newest Trustees,"] "National Health Museum News", Accessed February 22, 2007.] [http://www.devicelink.com/mddi/archive/04/08/039.html "Industry Pioneer - Robert Fischell,"] "Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry - August 2004". Accessed February 22, 2007.] His inventions have led to the creation of several biotechnology companies. He worked at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory full time for 25 years, and part time for an additional 13 years. He contributed to APL's satellite navigation work, and later developed a rechargeable implantable pacemaker that could be programmed with radiowaves, [Love JW, Lewis KB, Fischell RE, [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1099261&dopt=Abstract "The Johns Hopkins rechargeable pacemaker. Historical aspect."] "JAMA" 1975 Oct 6;234(1):64-6.] [ [http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff1996/25.html "Programmable Pacemaker,"] "Spinoff (Publication of NASA featuring commercial applications of space technology)", 1996. Accessed February 25, 2007.] [Fischell R. (1998), [http://techdigest.jhuapl.edu/td1901/fischell.pdf "Applications of Transit Satellite Technology to Biomedical Devices,"] "Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest"; Vol 19, No. 1.] [ [http://www.aemf.org/page.php?id=40 "The Alfred Mann Foundation,"] "Mission and History", Accessed February 25, 2007.] (Pacesetter Systems Inc., purchased by Siemens, now the CRM division of St. Jude Medical). He and his team at Hopkins also helped miniaturize the implantable cardiac defibrillator.Neal E. (2003), [http://www.discover.com/issues/nov-03/features/discover-awards/technology-for-humanity/ "Technology for Humanity: Robert Fischell,"] "Discover", Vol. 24, No. 11.] Dr. Fischell went on to invent the implantable insulin pump (MiniMed, spun off from Pacesetter Systems, Inc. in 1985), numerous coronary stents used to open clogged arteries (IsoStent, Inc. merged with Cordis, in turn purchased by Johnson & Johnson), [ [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/2-11-98/413707&EDATE= "Cordis Acquires IsoStent Technology; Continues Collaborative Radioactive Stent Research,"] "PRNewswire", Accessed February 22, 2007.] and two extraordinary feedback systems that provide early warning of epileptic seizures (NeuroPace, Inc.) and heart attacks (Angel Medical Systems, Inc.). Fischell recently donated $30 million to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation to establish a bioengineering department and an institute for biomedical devices at the James Clark School of Engineering. [ [http://www.eng.umd.edu/spotlight/fischell/ The Fischell Department of Bioengineering and the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices.] Accessed February 22, 2007.]

In 2005, he was awarded the TED Prize, receiving $100,000 and three wishes, including a braintrust on medical liability and the successful design of a device to cure migraines.

Dr. Fischell has 3 sons (from oldest to youngest), David, Tim, and Scott Fischell. He is currently married to Susan R. Fischell and they live in Maryland.

References

External links

* [http://www.pratt.duke.edu/alumni/profiles_fischell.php Duke University Biography]
*Dr. Fischell's [http://www.ted.com/utils/streamingplayer.cfm?videoName=ted_prize_fischell300k&videoLength=151&pageTitle=%3Cstrong%3ETED%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrize%3Cstrong%3E2004%3C%2Fstrong%3E introductory video] at TED Conference 2005.
*Video of Dr. Fischell [http://ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=r_fischell accepting the TED Prize] and discussing new life-saving technologies. :Presented February 2005 in Monterey, CA. (28 mins)