Robert Fischell
Inventor who has saved countless lives
Robert Fischell is, in the words of his nominator, “a great physicist, a great scientist, a great inventor, and, most important, a great human being.” The holder of more than 200 US and foreign patents, Fischell began his work in space development, including the creation of a 16-satellite system called Transit that was a key precursor to GPS. Fischell’s true genius is his ability to see across technologies and sciences.
His uncanny intuition allowed him to invent special features of the implantable cardiac defibrillator that has saved more than 60,000 lives — followed by the implantable insulin pump, coronary stents used to open clogged arteries, and two extraordinary feedback systems that provide early warning of epileptic seizures and heart attacks. Fischell is now 75, yet still has a host of potent ideas capable of igniting the TED community to action. It is not just his inventive genius that makes Fischell such a worthy recipient, but his unwavering determination to make the world a better place.
