The First Implantable Cardiac Pacemaker
Wilson Greatbatch's 1960 patent for the first successful implantable heart pacemaker that used a battery to regulate heartbeat.
Original patent title: “Medical cardiac pacemaker”
Wilson Greatbatch's 1960 patent for the first successful implantable heart pacemaker that used a battery to regulate heartbeat. Granted to Wilson Greatbatch Technologies Inc in 1962 with 127 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a medical device designed to be implanted inside a patient to provide electrical stimulation to the heart. It uses a transistorized oscillator circuit to generate periodic electrical pulses that mimic the natural rhythm of a heart. These pulses are delivered to the heart muscle via electrodes to keep the heart beating at a steady, healthy rate. The device is powered by a battery, allowing it to function independently within the body for extended periods.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover external pacemakers that remain outside the body.
- Does not cover modern pacemakers with wireless communication or remote monitoring features.
- Does not cover non-electrical methods of heart rhythm regulation.
- Does not cover the specific chemical composition of modern lithium-iodine batteries.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
Greatbatch used a transistor, which was a relatively new component at the time, to create a circuit that was small and efficient enough to run on a battery for a long time inside the human body.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Early implantable pacemakers used in the 1960s
Modern cardiac rhythm management devices
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This invention transformed cardiology by turning heart block from a fatal condition into a manageable one. It laid the foundation for the entire implantable medical device industry, including modern pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).
Filed
July 22, 1960
Granted
October 9, 1962
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Abbott continue to refine the technology pioneered by Greatbatch. These firms have evolved the original design into sophisticated, multi-lead devices that can sense heart activity in real-time.
Market impact
This patent effectively created the market for implantable cardiac devices. It triggered a massive shift in medical treatment, moving from invasive open-heart interventions to minimally invasive procedures that significantly extended the life expectancy of patients with heart rhythm disorders.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a medical device designed to be implanted inside a patient to provide electrical stimulation to the heart. It uses a transistorized oscillator circuit to generate periodic electrical pulses that mimic the natural rhythm of a heart. These pulses are delivered to the heart muscle via electrodes to keep the heart beating at a steady, healthy rate. The device is powered by a battery, allowing it to function independently within the body for extended periods.
The clever bit
Greatbatch used a transistor, which was a relatively new component at the time, to create a circuit that was small and efficient enough to run on a battery for a long time inside the human body.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover external pacemakers that remain outside the body.
- Does not cover modern pacemakers with wireless communication or remote monitoring features.
- Does not cover non-electrical methods of heart rhythm regulation.
- Does not cover the specific chemical composition of modern lithium-iodine batteries.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$66K – $211K
Midpoint $132K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Wilson, G. (1962). The First Implantable Cardiac Pacemaker (U.S. Patent No. 3,057,356). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3057356/implantable-cardiac-pacemaker
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The First Implantable Cardiac Pacemaker cover?
Wilson Greatbatch's 1960 patent for the first successful implantable heart pacemaker that used a battery to regulate heartbeat.
Who owns patent US 3057356?
Wilson Greatbatch Technologies Inc owns this patent, granted in 1962.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 3057356 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 127 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This invention transformed cardiology by turning heart block from a fatal condition into a manageable one. It laid the foundation for the entire implantable medical device industry, including modern pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover external pacemakers that remain outside the body.
Patent monitoring