Julio Palmaz, inventor of the stent, is honored for his achievement.

News Trends

Stent Inventor Named to Hall of Fame

The stent is taking its rightful place among the greatest inventions of all time.

Its inventor, Julio Palmaz, MD, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May. Palmaz served on the staff of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and cofounded Advanced Bio Prosthetic Surfaces Ltd. In 2004 he was named as one of MD&DI's100 Notable People in the device industry.

Debuting in 1994 after being licensed to Johnson & Johnson, the stent quickly became the primary method of treating blocked or collapsed arteries, replacing balloon angioplasty. Today, more than 2 million are implanted annually, most with a drug coating that helps prevent reblockage.