Shaping the Practice of Tomorrow: The Role of Clinicians in Echo Innovation

Here's a challenge. What do the three images in Figure  1 have in common? The answer reflects activities that took place decades ago. All three of these revolutionary medical devices (the implantable transvenous pacemaker, the hemodialysis unit, and the artificial heart valve) were the result of collaborations between at least one engineer and one phys ician. In fact, the valve in panel C bears the name of the two inventors, engineer M. Lowell Edwards and surgeon Albert Starr, MD. Dr. Starr attended the ASE Scientific Sessions when they were held in Portland, OR in 2014 and described in detail the bold steps that led to the first successful valve replacement.
Source: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: American Society of Echocardiography News Source Type: research