Wilson Greatbatch
Encyclopedia
Wilson Greatbatch was an American
engineer
and inventor who
is most widely known as the inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker
. He held more than 350 patents and was a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Lemelson–MIT Prize.
and attended public grade school at West Seneca East Senior High School West Seneca
. He entered military service and served during World War II, becoming an aviation chief radioman before receiving an honorable discharge in 1945. He attended Cornell University
as part of the GI Bill, graduating with a B.E.E. in electrical engineering
in 1950; he received a master's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo
in 1957.
) for its energy source, driving a two transistor, transformer coupled blocking oscillator
circuit, all encapsulated in epoxy
resin, then coupled to electrodes placed into the myocardium of the patient's heart. This patented innovation led to the Medtronic
company of Minneapolis commencing manufacture and further development of cardiac pacemakers.
cell (USA patent 4049890). The cell used two elements at near ends of the electrochemical scale, causing a high voltage
of 2.8V and an energy density near the physical maximum. Unfortunately, it had an internal impedance
which limited its current load to under 0.1 mA and was thus considered useless.
Greatbatch sought to introduce this invention into the pacemaker industry, which could readily utilize a high impedance battery. The early work was conducted in a rented area of the former Wurlitzer
Organ Factory
in North Tonawanda, New York
. Ralph Mead is understood to have headed the early electrochemical development.
Greatbatch introduced the developed WG1 cell to pacemaker
developers in 1971, and was met with limited enthusiasm. The lithium-iodide cell manufactured by WG is now the standard cell for pacemakers, having the energy density
, low self-discharge, small size and reliability needed.
In the cell as developed for cardiac pacemaker application, the anode
is lithium
and the cathode
a proprietary composition of iodine
and poly-2-vinyl pyridine, neither of which is electrically conductive, however after processing by mixing and heating to ~ 150 °C for 72 hours the components react with each other to form an electrically conductive viscous liquid which, while still molten, is poured into the cell where it cools to form a solid. When the liquid contacts the lithium anode it creates a monomolecular layer of semiconducting crystalline lithium iodide. As the cell is discharged by the current load of the pacemaker, the reaction between the lithium anode and iodine cathode forms a growing barrier of lithium iodide, which being resistive causes the terminal voltage of the cell to decrease approximately as an inverse function of the volume of the barrier. Pacemaker designers use this characteristic to permit detection of incipient 'end of life' of the pacemaker's lithium cell.
New York to create a graduate program in music.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and inventor who
is most widely known as the inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
. He held more than 350 patents and was a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Lemelson–MIT Prize.
Early years
Greatbatch was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and attended public grade school at West Seneca East Senior High School West Seneca
West Seneca, New York
West Seneca is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 44,711 at the 2010 census. West Seneca is a centrally-located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo...
. He entered military service and served during World War II, becoming an aviation chief radioman before receiving an honorable discharge in 1945. He attended Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
as part of the GI Bill, graduating with a B.E.E. in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
in 1950; he received a master's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
in 1957.
The Chardack-Greatbatch pacemaker
The Chardack-Greatbatch pacemaker used Mallory mercuric oxide-zinc cells (mercury batteryMercury battery
A mercury battery is a non-rechargeable electrochemical battery, a primary cell. Due to the content of mercury, and the resulting environmental concerns, the sale of mercury batteries is banned in many countries. Both ANSI and IEC have withdrawn standards for mercury batteries...
) for its energy source, driving a two transistor, transformer coupled blocking oscillator
Blocking oscillator
A blocking oscillator is a simple configuration of discrete electronic components which can produce a free-running signal, requiring only a resistor, a transformer, and one amplifying element. The name is derived from the fact that the transistor is cut-off or "blocked" for most of the...
circuit, all encapsulated in epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
resin, then coupled to electrodes placed into the myocardium of the patient's heart. This patented innovation led to the Medtronic
Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. , based in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the world's largest medical technology company and is a Fortune 500 company.- History :...
company of Minneapolis commencing manufacture and further development of cardiac pacemakers.
The Greatbatch lithium-iodide battery cell
In 1968, Catalyst Research Corporation of Baltimore, Maryland developed and patented a lithium batteryLithium battery
Lithium batteries are disposable batteries that have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Depending on the design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5 V to about 3.7 V, over twice the voltage of an ordinary zinc–carbon battery or alkaline battery...
cell (USA patent 4049890). The cell used two elements at near ends of the electrochemical scale, causing a high voltage
Voltage
Voltage, otherwise known as electrical potential difference or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points — or the difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points...
of 2.8V and an energy density near the physical maximum. Unfortunately, it had an internal impedance
Electrical impedance
Electrical impedance, or simply impedance, is the measure of the opposition that an electrical circuit presents to the passage of a current when a voltage is applied. In quantitative terms, it is the complex ratio of the voltage to the current in an alternating current circuit...
which limited its current load to under 0.1 mA and was thus considered useless.
Greatbatch sought to introduce this invention into the pacemaker industry, which could readily utilize a high impedance battery. The early work was conducted in a rented area of the former Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
Organ Factory
North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory
The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory was a street organ organ manufacturing company and building, locted in North Tonawanda, New York. Started by expatriate German Eugene de Kleist with backing from Allan Herschell, the company was later purchased by the Wurlitzer company.-Foundations:In 1892,...
in North Tonawanda, New York
North Tonawanda, New York
North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 31,568 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after Tonawanda Creek, its south border...
. Ralph Mead is understood to have headed the early electrochemical development.
Greatbatch introduced the developed WG1 cell to pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
developers in 1971, and was met with limited enthusiasm. The lithium-iodide cell manufactured by WG is now the standard cell for pacemakers, having the energy density
Energy density
Energy density is a term used for the amount of energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit volume. Often only the useful or extractable energy is quantified, which is to say that chemically inaccessible energy such as rest mass energy is ignored...
, low self-discharge, small size and reliability needed.
In the cell as developed for cardiac pacemaker application, the anode
Anode
An anode is an electrode through which electric current flows into a polarized electrical device. Mnemonic: ACID ....
is lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
and the cathode
Cathode
A cathode is an electrode through which electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device. Mnemonic: CCD .Cathode polarity is not always negative...
a proprietary composition of iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
and poly-2-vinyl pyridine, neither of which is electrically conductive, however after processing by mixing and heating to ~ 150 °C for 72 hours the components react with each other to form an electrically conductive viscous liquid which, while still molten, is poured into the cell where it cools to form a solid. When the liquid contacts the lithium anode it creates a monomolecular layer of semiconducting crystalline lithium iodide. As the cell is discharged by the current load of the pacemaker, the reaction between the lithium anode and iodine cathode forms a growing barrier of lithium iodide, which being resistive causes the terminal voltage of the cell to decrease approximately as an inverse function of the volume of the barrier. Pacemaker designers use this characteristic to permit detection of incipient 'end of life' of the pacemaker's lithium cell.
Philanthropy
Greatbatch donated funds to Houghton CollegeHoughton College
Houghton College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Wesleyan Church. The college is a member of both the Christian College Consortium and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities...
New York to create a graduate program in music.
External links
- A video interview with Wilson Greatbatch from vega.org.uk
- Implantable pacemaker inventor Wilson Greatbatch dies from BBC 28 September 2011