St. Jude Medical was founded in Suburb of St. Paul
In 1976, St. Jude Medical was founded by Manny Villafana in Little Canada, a suburb of Saint Paul….
University of Washington researchers published first reports of ultrasonic duplex scanning for arterial and venous disorders
On Mar. 1, 1974, researchers from the University of Washington (UW) published in Transactions in Biomedical Engineering, the…
The Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology and EMI developed prototype of the first CT head scanner
In 1974, the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis partnered with London’s EMI, Ltd. to develop a…
Computed tomography (CT) was introduced in the U.S.
In June 1973, the first computed tomography (CT) scanner in the U.S. was installed at the Mayo Clinic…
Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) was founded
In 1969, Advanced Technology Laboratories was founded in 1969 and became one of the leading diagnostic ultrasound imaging…
Medtronic annual sales skyrocketed to more than $12 million
In 1968, Medtronic annual sales skyrocketed to more than $12 million, with the company reporting net income in…
Capital Orthopedics Consolidates Hanger Companies
In 1968, Ivan R. Sabel founded Capital Orthopedics. In 1986, Colorado-based Sequel Corporation acquired Capital Orthopedics. As President…
Medtronic opened a service center at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport
In 1967, Medtronic opened a service center at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Staffed round-the-clock, the Schiphol Depot provided physicians…
Medtronic introduced two “on-demand” pacemakers
In 1967, Medtronic introduced two “on-demand” pacemakers, designed to avoid competition between paced beats and the patient’s own…
Medtronic purchased the patents related to implantable pacemakers from Drs. Greatbatch and Chardack
In 1966, Medtronic purchased the patents related to implantable pacemakers from Drs. Wilson Greatbatch and William Chardack. Building…
Dr. Charles T. Dotter performed the world’s first percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
On Jan. 16, 1964, Dr. Charles T. Dotter at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), considered the father…
Medtronic relocated its headquarters to St Anthony Village in Minneapolis
In 1961, Medtronic relocated its headquarters to a 15,000-square-foot facility in St. Anthony Village in Minneapolis. The new…
The first ‘Scribner shunt’ was implanted in the arm of a Boeing machinist
On Mar. 9, 1960, Dr. Belding Scribner implanted the first Scribner Shunt in the arm of Clyde Shields…
Medtronic signed a contract that provided exclusive rights to produce and market the Chardack-Greatbatch implantable pulse generator
In 1960, Medtronic’s founders read an article about the implantable pulse generator with interest and soon contacted the…
President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act
On Jul. 29, 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, leading to the birth…
Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments was awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of the integrated circuit
In 1958, the Integrated circuit was invented by Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments (TI). Kilby was awarded the…
C. Walton Lillehei and Dr. Richard A DeWall at the University of Minnesota Heart Hospital co-invented a heart-lung machine
In 1958, C. Walton Lillehei and Dr. Richard A. DeWall at the University of Minnesota Heart Hospital co-invent…
Johnsonﾠ & ﾠJohnson established operations in India
In 1957, Johnsonﾠ&ﾠJohnson established operations in India.
Physio-Control was incorporated by Dr. K. William Edmark, a Seattle cardiovascular surgeon
On May 29, 1956, Physio-Control was incorporated by Dr. K. William Edmark, a Seattle cardiovascular surgeon, who was…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medical Device | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Howard Hughes Medical Institute was founded
On Dec. 17, 1953, Howard Hughes signed documents that created the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, formed with the…
Medtronic was founded as a medical equipment repair shop by Earl Bakken and his brother-in-law, Palmer Hermundslie
In 1953, Medtronic was founded as a medical equipment repair shop by Earl Bakken and his brother-in-law, Palmer…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Life Science History | Medical Device | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Quinton Instruments was founded by University of Washington biomedical engineer Wayne Quinton
In 1953, Quinton Instruments was founded by University of Washington biomedical engineer Wayne Quinton with the initial focus…
Diagnostics | Environmental | Life Science History | Medical Device | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Founders day at The University of California Radiation Laboratory (Livermore)
On Aug. 26, 1952, Founders Day marks the date that Ernest Lawrence received permission to open up a…
Dr. C. Walton Lillehei performed surgery using the world’s first small, portable, battery-powered pacemaker
In 1950, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei at the University of Minnesota (UMN) performed surgery on Mike Shaw from…
Prosthetic designers gradually replace wood and leather with newer materials
In 1950, Prosthetic designers gradually replaced wood and leather with newer materials. J.E. Hanger of Washington created a…
Sandia Corporation started managing Sandia Laboratory
On Nov. 2, 1949, Sandia Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Electric, took over management of Sandia…
Ethicon was formed from Johnsonﾠ &ﾠ Johnson’s heritage suture business
In 1949, Ethicon was formed from Johnson ﾠ&ﾠ Johnson’s heritage suture business.
Sandia National Laboratories was founded
Sandia began in 1945 as Z Division, the ordnance design, testing, and assembly arm of Los Alamos National…
Wyckoff and Williams introduced the shadowing of electron microscope specimens
In 1945, scientists Ralph W. G. Wyckoff of the University of Michigan Department of Epidemiology and Robley Williams…
Johnson ﾠ& ﾠJohnson went public on the New York Stock Exchange
In 1944, Johnsonﾠ &ﾠ Johnson went public with a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.