Wilson Greatbatch
Explore the extraordinary life of Wilson Greatbatch — the inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker, his inventions, philosophy, and lasting legacy.
Introduction
Wilson Greatbatch (September 6, 1919 – September 27, 2011) was an American engineer and prolific inventor, best known for inventing one of the world’s first implantable cardiac pacemakers. His work transformed cardiac medicine, and his innovations in battery technology, medical devices, and engineering ethics left enduring marks on both medicine and technology. In this article, we journey through his life, his inventions, his philosophy, and the lessons we can draw from his creative spirit.
Early Life and Family
Wilson Greatbatch was born on September 6, 1919, in Buffalo, New York. He was the son of Walter Plant Greatbatch (a building contractor) and Charlotte Margaret (Recktenwalt) Greatbatch. He grew up in the West Seneca area and attended public schools.
He married Eleanor Wright on January 1, 1945, and they had four children: Warren Dee, John Leslie, Kenneth Alan, and Anne Katherine.
Greatbatch was known to be modest, detail-oriented, and deeply committed to his work and faith.
Youth and Education
From an early age, Wilson Greatbatch showed curiosity in electronics and radio. Before the Second World War, he worked as an amateur radio operator.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation chief radioman. After the war, using the GI Bill, he went to Cornell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (B.E.E.) in 1950. He later obtained a Master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1957 from the University of Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo).
During his early work, he took on projects involving recording devices for animal physiology and behavior, which indirectly set the stage for his pacemaker breakthrough.
Career and Achievements
The Accidental Discovery
In 1956, while working on a device to record cardiac rhythms in animals, Greatbatch inadvertently installed a resistor of the wrong value. Rather than functioning as a recorder, the device began generating regular electrical pulses. He later recalled staring in disbelief at the output.
Recognizing that those pulses closely mimicked natural heartbeats, Greatbatch realized the possibility of using such a circuit to stimulate the heart rather than just record it.
He refined the design, miniaturized the circuitry, and by May 1958 successfully demonstrated it in a dog. By 1960, the first human implantation of his device occurred.
The early pacemaker version was known as the Chardack-Greatbatch pacemaker, combining two transistors, a blocking oscillator, and a mercuric-oxide battery, encapsulated in epoxy, with electrodes in the heart muscle.
Innovations in Battery Technology
A key practical challenge for implantable devices is reliable, long-lasting power. Greatbatch addressed this by developing a lithium-iodide battery for pacemakers, which offered high energy density, low self-discharge, and long life.
His battery technology became the standard for pacemakers and greatly extended device lifespans.
Founding Greatbatch, Inc. and Further Innovation
In 1970, Wilson Greatbatch founded Greatbatch, Inc. (originally Wilson Greatbatch Ltd) to commercialize power sources and components for medical devices.
Over his lifetime, he was awarded more than 325 patents spanning medical devices, electronics, batteries, alternative energy, and even experimental projects like a solar-powered canoe.
His contributions were recognized by numerous honors, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, receiving the National Medal of Technology, and awards such as the Lemelson-MIT Prize.
He remained active in research and engineering well into his later years, continuing to refine implantable device technology and battery innovations.
Historical Milestones & Context
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When Greatbatch’s pacemaker was first implanted in a human in 1960, it represented a major shift from externally powered cardiac pacing to fully internalized medical devices.
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His invention and improvements coincided with the rapid growth of biomedical engineering in the mid-to-late 20th century.
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In 1983, the National Society of Professional Engineers declared his pacemaker invention one of the two greatest engineering contributions to society in the previous 50 years.
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He was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1988 “for the invention and relentless improvement of the life-saving implantable cardiac pacemaker and the long-life lithium-iodine battery.”
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His battery and pacemaker work laid foundations for modern cardiovascular implantables (e.g. defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization devices).
Legacy and Influence
Wilson Greatbatch’s legacy is profound, both in terms of human life touched and engineering progress:
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Lives saved and improved: Millions of people have benefited from pacemakers powered by his designs and batteries.
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Standardization of battery technology: His lithium-iodide cell became the gold standard for implantable devices.
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Innovation culture: His career is an exemplar of perseverance, experimentation, and combining serendipity with engineering discipline.
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Cross-disciplinary impact: Beyond pacemakers, his patents touched fields from renewable energy to medical electrodes.
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Philanthropy & education: He made significant donations to the arts and education (e.g. Houghton College’s music program) and left an enduring mark on his home region via architectural and cultural initiatives.
Personality and Talents
Greatbatch’s creativity was matched by his humility and persistence. He once noted that “nine things out of ten don’t work,” but that the tenth success would make up for the failures.
He did not view his breakthrough as a sudden Eureka moment, but rather as the result of incremental tinkering and persistent trial and error.
His intellectual curiosity was broad: he had interests in astronomy, space, energy systems, and futurism. Many of his quotes reflect that wide-ranging curiosity.
Colleagues remembered him as unassuming, disciplined, and always ready to roll up his sleeves and return to the bench or garage lab.
Famous Quotes of Wilson Greatbatch
Here are several notable quotes attributed to Wilson Greatbatch:
“Don’t fear failure. Don’t crave success. The reward is not in the results, but rather in the doing.”
“Failure is a learning experience, and the guy who never fails is never learning.”
“Rocket scientists agree that we have about reached the limit of our ability to travel in space using chemical rockets. To achieve anything near the speed of light we will need a new energy source and a new propellant. Nuclear fission is not an option.”
“History has repeatedly shown that when a new method or material becomes available, new uses for it arise.”
“When you buy a gallon of gas, over 60 percent of the energy you pay for goes out the radiator in the form of waste heat. That’s why you have a radiator in your car in the first place.”
“There is more He-3 energy on the Moon than we have ever had in the form of fossil fuels on Earth. All we have to do is to go there and get it.”
These quotes highlight his thoughts on failure, engineering, energy, innovation, and the future.
Lessons from Wilson Greatbatch
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Serendipity + Preparedness
Greatbatch’s breakthrough came via a “mistake,” but he recognized its significance and had the knowledge to act on it. Great inventions often lie at the intersection of accident and readiness. -
Persistence is essential
He accepted failure as part of the path, iterating relentlessly until progress emerged. -
Think holistically
He didn’t only invent circuits — he tackled batteries, packaging, reliability, and scaling issues. Good innovation solves entire system-level challenges. -
Broaden your vision
His interests ventured from medicine into energy, astronomy, and materials — reminding us that cross-disciplinary thinking can spark new ideas. -
Service through invention
His engineering was driven by a mission to improve lives. His humility and dedication kept him grounded.
Conclusion
Wilson Greatbatch’s journey from Buffalo to the forefront of biomedical engineering shows how careful observation, curiosity, and perseverance can lead to breakthroughs that transform the world. His creation of the implantable pacemaker and innovations in battery technology have saved countless lives, and his mindset continues to inspire inventors, engineers, and thinkers around the globe.
If you’d like to explore particular inventions of his, dive into his patents, or compare his approach with other great inventors, I’d be happy to help further!