One of the Greatest Medtech Innovations of Our Time, 40 Years Later

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Mieczyslaw "Michel" Mirowski (pictured above on the right) and Morton Mower begin work in July 1969 on what would ultimately become the first ICD. Although they successfully tested their first crude prototype of the device (made from a broken external defibrillator paddle) on a dog just one month after their work began, the first human implant of the ICD occured nearly 11 years later, on Feb. 4, 1980.All this week, MD+DI will pay tribute to Mirowski, Mower, and others who pioneered the ICD field, as well as the researchers and companies that continue to advance ICD therapy today. To kick things off, here is a look back at the key moments in ICD history.