"His father died when Dr. Fogarty was young, so he learned how to fix things around the house. At 15, he developed his first invention, the centrifugal clutch for motorized scooters, which is still the industry standard over 70 years later. Dr. Fogarty's entrepreneurial spirit carried into adulthood. In 1961, he created his most notable invention, the balloon catheter, before he had even completed medical school at the University of Cincinnati. The tool, which helps remove blood clots, was the first minimally invasive surgical device."
"It was the first in a long list of Dr. Fogarty's medical device inventions, including a tissue heart valve and an aortic stent graft, which are credited with making surgeries safer, more cost-effective, and more accessible. In recognition of his numerous scientific contributions, Dr. Fogarty was awarded the Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation by former President Barack Obama in 2012."
Thomas J. Fogarty, born Feb. 25, 1934, died Dec. 28 at age 91 in Portola Valley. He grew up in Cincinnati, learned mechanical repair after his father's death, and at 15 invented the centrifugal clutch for motorized scooters. In 1961 he invented the balloon catheter before finishing medical school; the tool removes blood clots and was the first minimally invasive surgical device. He served as professor of cardiovascular surgery at Stanford and as Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at Sequoia Hospital. He developed many devices including a tissue heart valve and an aortic stent graft. He received the Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2012 and multiple major awards.
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