WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Robert E. Fischell, co-founder of Svelte Medial Systems and co-inventor of the SLENDER Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent-On-A-Wire Integrated Delivery System (IDS), was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor for achievement and leadership in advancing the field of technology in the United States. Dr. Fischell received the medal from President Obama on May 19 during a ceremony at the White House. The citation for this medal was “for the invention of novel medical devices used in the treatment of many illnesses thereby improving the health and saving the lives of millions of patients around the world.”
Dr. Fischell has been an industry pioneer and prolific inventor for more than 35 years, holding more than 200 US and foreign medical patents and founding several biotechnology companies during this time. His contributions to medicine include numerous inventions relating to the first implantable pacemakers, coronary stents, insulin pumps and remote monitoring systems. Along with his sons David and Tim, he developed SLENDER IDS, the world’s lowest profile drug-eluting stent (DES) and the first advance in stent delivery since the rapid-exchange catheter, designed to reduce the catheter size, steps, time and cost necessary to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Prior to his time in the medical device field, Dr. Fischell worked at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he helped develop satellite navigation systems and radio wave programmable implantable pacemakers. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and a MS in Physics from the University of Maryland, and was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Maryland, the Johns Hopkins University and the Stevens Institute of Technology.
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was created in 1980 to recognize select individuals making lasting contributions to the nation’s competitiveness, quality of life and technological workforce.
About Svelte Medical Systems
Headquartered in New Providence, New Jersey, Svelte Medical Systems (www.sveltemedical.com) is a privately-held company engaged in the development of highly deliverable balloon expandable stents. Statements made in this press release that look forward in time or that express beliefs, expectations or hopes regarding future occurrences or anticipated outcomes or benefits, are forward-looking statements. A number of risks and uncertainties, such as risks associated with product development and commercialization efforts, results of clinical trials, ultimate clinical outcomes and benefit of the company’s products to patients, market and physician acceptance of the products, intellectual property protection and competitive product offerings, could cause actual events to adversely differ from the expectations indicated in these forward looking statements.
