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OBITUARIES For the full versions of articles in this section see bmj.com Wilson Greatbatch Co-inventor of the first practical implanted pacemaker Wilson Greatbatch, born in Buffalo, New York, in “Before the 1919, was considered a genius by many. Wilson or implantable Bill, as he was affectionately known, was a crea- pacemaker, tive electrical engineer whose inventions changed medicine forever and have helped save the lives of patients died millions of people around the world. routinely from the simplest Heart block and bradycardia of causes . When Greatbatch died in September, aged 92, his Everything achievements were recognised by media around changed with the world, and he was described as the “father of the implantable the implantable pacemaker.” But Greatbatch did electronic not invent the pacemaker. Over the years several pacemaker— people had experimented with electrical stimula- tion of the heart and the design of artificial pace- often but makers. By the 1950s, early cardiac pacemakers lamentably were in use, but they were large, external to the taken for body, and had to be plugged into an electrical granted wall socket. A lead was implanted in the patient’s nowadays heart. These first pacemakers were used in adults and children for heart block and bradycardia. They of causes: slowing or cessation of the heartbeat. Electrical engineering helped but caregivers, patients, and their families Many of these were babies who had undergone Greatbatch was awarded a bachelor of electri- lived in fear of a power cut. correction of congenital plumbing disorders. The cal engineering degree from Cornell University Next came a battery operated handheld pace- surgery may have been technically impeccable, but in 1950. He received a masters degree in electri- maker. Earl Bakken, the US engineer and co- they died of cardiac standstill. Everything changed cal engineering from the University of Buffalo in founder of the medical devices maker Medtronic, with the implantable electronic pacemaker—a 1957 and held honorary degrees from the State worked in his Minneapolis garage and developed marvel of modern medicine, often but lamentably University of New York at Buffalo, C larkson the first wearable battery powered artificial pace- taken for granted nowadays.” U niversity, and Roberts Wesleyan College. maker in the late 1950s. This was a huge advance Greatbatch was not actually working on the In 1983 the US National Society of P rofessional because patients were no longer permanently development of an implantable pacemaker in Engineers named the implantable pacemaker immobile. The next challenge was to design an 1956 when he came up with the idea for his one of the 10 greatest engineering contributions implantable pacemaker. design. Greatbatch left his job as a professor at the to society in the past 50 years. Greatbatch wrote In 1958, Rune Elmqvist, an engineer who also University of Buffalo, withdrew $2000 of his sav- an autobiographical account of his invention, had a medical degree, designed an implantable ings, and in his barn started to design a prototype. en titled The Making of the P acemaker: Ce lebrating pacemaker when working with the cardiac surgeon He dedicated two years’ full time work to this goal a Lifesaving Invention. This “humble tinkerer” Åke Senning in Sweden. Dr Senning implanted and created a device only two cubic inches (about never stopped inventing, and when he died he the pacemaker in a man with heart block on 30 cm3) in size. He experimented on restoring heart held more than 150 patents. 8 Oc tober 1958, explained Richard Sutton, profes- rhythm in animals, with Drs William Chardack and Greatbatch is remembered by his family, sor of cardiology at Imperial College, London. The Andrew Gage. Greatbatch personally made 50 of friends, and colleagues as kind, wise, humble, device lasted about six hours but then failed and the first completely implantable pulse generators deeply religious, and an inspiring teacher and had to be replaced by a second, which worked for in the United States, 10 of them for humans. In mentor. “He was a wonderful man who really six weeks, and then this was replaced (Tex Heart 1960 he filed for a US patent on the pacemaker, helped his fellow human being,” said Dr Sutton. Inst J 2000;27:234-5). The patient lived another and in 1961 Medtronic purchased the rights to Greatbatch’s wife, born Eleanor Fay Wright, died 44 years, dying at the age of 86 (www.nytimes. produce and market the “Chardack-Greatbatch in January aged 90; they had been married for 66 com/2002/01/18/world/arne-h-w-larsson-86- implantable pulse generator.” years. He leaves a daughter and three sons. His had-first-internal-pacemaker.html). Greatbatch then designed a lithium battery youngest son, Peter, died in 1998. Eduardo Marbán, director of the Cedars-Sinai to extend the device’s life because the origi- Barbara Kermode-Scott Heart Institute and a former editor of Circulation nal lasted only about 18 months. He founded Wilson Greatbatch, electrical engineer (b 1919), died Research, said, “Before the implantable pace- W ilson G reatbatch Ltd in 1970 to manufacture on 27 September 2011 from renal failure. maker, patients died routinely from the simplest the b atteries and other devices. Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6765 906 BMJ | 29 OCTOBER 2011 | VOLUME 343 OBITUARIES medical officer for Hereford United native India. She was appointed with the local medical committee. Robert Glen Football Club. After retirement he locum consultant at University He enjoyed walking, bird watching, Brackenridge taught children to read at the local College Hospital and later became running and tennis. On Retired consultant physician, primary school. Predeceased by consultant to the SE Canterbury retirement he cycled from Hexham General Hospital (b 1929; Monica, his wife for over 50 years, and Thanet health authorities. A Montpellier to Birmingham. q Edinburgh 1951 ), died on 24 May he leaves two children and two clinical all-rounder, she worked He leaves a wife, Dilys; four 2011 from motor neurone disease. grandchildren. as a research fellow in pathology children; and nine Robert Glen Brackenridge Ben Moore at the Institute of Laryngology and grandchildren. (“Robbie”) was born in Cardenden, Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6740 Otology in London. She suffered life Martin Wilkinson a Scottish mining village, where long ill health: measles in childhood Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6379 his father was the local general developed into bronchiectasis in practitioner. He won a bursary to P B S Fowler later life. She was a devout Parsi the University of Edinburgh to study Zoroastrian, first marrying a Hindu James Jack Young medicine. After his National Service from her native city, who died as a medical officer in the Royal young, and then finding much Air Force in Singapore and Kuala happiness with her haematologist Lumpur he trained in medicine in husband Derek Wells. Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee. Rumy Kapadia He was appointed consultant Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6747 physician at Hexham General Hospital in 1966 and worked there until he retired in 1994. He was Former consultant physician Charing Brian Richard involved in setting up the school of Cross Hospital, London (b Shanghai Wilkinson Former general practitioner, Paisley nursing and wrote a book, Essential 1921; q St Thomas’ Hospital, London (b 1931, q Glasgow 1954), died from Medicine, which became a standard 1944), d 9 August 2011. jejunal carcinoma on 6 August 2011. nursing text. He is survived by After qualifying P B S Fowler James Jack Young (“Jim”) undertook his wife, four daughters, and 10 (Bruce) enlisted in the Army as locum posts in general practice grandchildren. a captain and was sent to Egypt. before joining the King Street Anna Brackenridge He was appointed as an NHS Practice in Paisley. He was Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6919 consultant physician at Charing pivotal in leading the practice Cross Hospital in 1960. He was into postgraduate training when also an examiner for conjoint this was introduced in 1973. An Peter Devlin and university finals and the Former general practitioner early exponent of patient centred membership of the Royal College Birmingham (b 1927; q Cambridge/ consultations, he was held in of Physicians and the Professional Bart’s London 1949; FRCGP 1986, high esteem by both patients and and Linguistic Assessments DObstRCOG), d 25 March 2011. colleagues. After retiring to Board (PLAB). His most important For his National Service, Brian Oban in 1994, Jim became involved original observation was that Richard Wilkinson was assigned in his church and community. premyxoedema (now known as to Chester Military Hospital. He His contributions to Paisley Burns subclinical hypothyroidism) could trained as a general practitioner in club, Oban Speakers club, and be responsible for the development Herefordshire and in 1958 the University of the Third Age were of coronary artery disease. He moved to Shard End Surgery, only some of the ways in which he Former consultant obstetrician/ continued in private practice until Birmingham. He became a hospital continued to share his gynaecologist Hereford County he was 82. His wife, four practitioner in rheumatology and knowledge and enthusiasms. Hospital, Hereford (b 1918; children, and 12 grandchildren pioneered inpatient GP beds with He is survived by Sheila, his wife of q University College Dublin, 1941), survive him. the Beauchamp Ward at 15 years; two children; and three d 16 June 2011. Richard Savage East Birmingham Hospital. A GP grandchildren. After qualifying Peter Devlin Suzanne Savage trainer since the mid-1970s he Winnie Weir (“Pete”) worked for a brief period Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6748 inspected new training practices Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6750 in general practice and then came to England, where he worked CORRECTION Because of a production as resident medical officer, Meher Derek Wells error, the two photographs specialising in surgery, at what Former consultant accompanying these became Hereford County Hospital.