| Timeline |
| 1903 |
Willem Einthoven,
Dutch physiologist, develops electrocardiograph. |
| 1927 |
Iron lung
developed by Phillip Drinker. |
| 1932 |
Defibrillator
developed by William Bennett Kauwenhoven. |
| 1945 |
Artificial kidney
developed by Willem J. Kolff. |
| 1950s |
Charles Huntnagel
pioneers prosthetic heart valves. |
| 1953 |
First successful
application of a heart-lung machine, John H. Gibbon. |
| 1954 |
First human
kidney transplant, Edward Donnal Thomas. |
| 1956 |
Plastic contact
lenses developed by Norman Bier. |
| 1957 |
First externally
worn, battery-powered pacemaker developed by Earl Bakken Robert Jarvik, and
C. Walton Lillehie. |
| 1957 |
Blood-heat
exchanger developed by Duke University, GM, and SUNY Buffalo.
|
| 1960 |
First totally
implanted pacemaker. |
| 1973 |
Computerized
tomography (CAT scan). |
| 1982 |
William C.
DeVries surgically implants a permanent artificial heart designed by
Robert Jarvik. |
| 1985 |
Soft bifocal
contact developed by Sofsite Contact Lens Laboratory. |
| 1985 |
Michele Mirowski
develops ventricular defibrillator. |
| 1986 |
In France,
Professor Benabid uses electrical stimulation to treat Parkinson's
patients. |
