In the 1950s, Wilson Greatbatch, an engineer from New York, was working on a project that had nothing to do with pacemakers. He was actually building a device to record heartbeats. But one fateful day, a simple mistake would lead to a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

The Accidental Circuit

Greatbatch was tinkering with a circuit for his heart-recording device when he accidentally inserted the wrong type of resistor into the circuit. Instead of recording heartbeats, the circuit started to emit a steady electrical pulse. He immediately realized that this pulse resembled the rhythm needed to stimulate a human heart—essentially, he had accidentally created a pulse generator!

Realizing the potential of this discovery, Greatbatch knew this mistake could lead to a device that would help regulate the heartbeat of people with heart conditions. The idea for the implantable pacemaker was born!

Making the Pacemaker a Reality

Greatbatch got to work on developing the pacemaker, refining his design so that it could be small enough to implant inside the body. After several trials and a partnership with surgeons, the first implantable pacemaker was successfully placed in a patient in 1960. The patient lived for two more years—an incredible success at the time.

Greatbatch’s pacemaker worked by delivering electrical impulses to the heart, ensuring it maintained a regular rhythm. This was a game-changer for people with irregular heartbeats or bradycardia, a condition where the heart beats too slowly.

From Batteries to Breakthroughs

The early pacemakers had short battery lives, meaning they had to be replaced frequently. But Greatbatch wasn’t done innovating—he later developed long-lasting lithium batteries that could power pacemakers for several years without needing replacement. This made pacemakers far more practical and accessible for patients, drastically improving the quality of life for millions of people with heart conditions.

The Pacemaker’s Impact

Today, pacemakers are smaller, more efficient, and even programmable, allowing doctors to adjust the device’s settings to match a patient’s specific needs. What started as an accidental blip on a circuit board has saved the lives of millions around the world, giving people with heart issues a steady beat and a healthier life.