Pacemaker (prototype)
date: label: date made
content: 1972
name: label: Associated Name
content: Villafana, Manuel
label: maker
content: Cardiac Pacemakers
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This carved block of wood is a “demonstration” model of the first lithium-powered pacemaker. It is housed in a custom made oak case with a brass clasp, hinges, and a key. A rectangular brass plate on the lid is engraved "CPI's First Demo Used in France, Spring 1972". The case was custom made by the staff at rhythm management group at Boston Scientific in St. Paul, Minnesota. Knowing the pacemaker and case were being donated to the Smithsonian, the craftsmen found information on the web explaining how to make an "archival" box. The oak box has been stained. The interior of the box has two foam platforms covered with acid-free paper. The bottom platform has a cut out to accommodate the pacemaker. A second platform is fitted to the interior of the lid.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Manny Villafaña CEO of Cardiac Pacemakers Inc. was scheduled to travel overseas and present the new lithium powered pacemaker to several French hospitals. But an actual demonstration model was not yet available. CPI’s machine shop carved a copy of the pacemaker from a piece of wood so Villafaña could carry it in his pocket.
label: Description (Brief)
content: CPI pioneered the world’s first lithium powered pacemaker. Within a very short time the new company changed the medical device industry. The larger established companies were not willing to try lithium batteries, and many of them including Medtronic had to play catch-up. By 1978 almost all implanted pacemakers were run with lithium batteries.
label: Description (Brief)
content: When the first pacemakers were implanted into humans in the 1960’s, the life span of mercury-zinc batteries was short — only 18 to 24 months. Generally four to six of the diminutive batteries were used to power early pacemakers. However, patients with arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats who relied on pacemakers to regulate their hearts were subjected to repeated operations to replace their pacemakers.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (CPI) was a start-up company founded by Manny Villafaña in 1972. In 1978 CPI was purchased by the Eli Lilly Company for their medical device division, Guidant Corporation. In 2006 Boston Scientific an international medical technology company purchased Guidant.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Minnesota, Saint Paul
topic: label: Subject
content: Medical Procedure- Surgery
label: Subject
content: Surgery
label: Subject
content: Cardiology
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2017.0114.01
label: accession number
content: 2017.0114
label: catalog number
content: 2017.0114.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pacemaker
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (pacemaker material)
label: Physical Description
content: oak (case material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (case material)
label: Measurements
content: pacemaker: 8 cm x 5.5 cm x 1.6 cm; 3 5/32 in x 2 5/32 in x 5/8 in
label: Measurements
content: case: 10 cm x 20.2 cm x 17.2 cm; 3 15/16 in x 7 15/16 in x 6 25/32 in