Pediatric cardiologist Franz Freudenthal discusses his inspiration for the development of a medical device that saves children with congenital heart defects. In his youth, Dr. Freudenthal and his grandmother worked closely with indigenous communities in remote villages in the Andes. The device, Freudenthal says, is inspired from traditional Bolivian weaving from the region in which he worked. The invention itself, knitted from threads of a high-tech alloy was perfected with the skills observed in these indigenous cultures. The final design replaces the device’s coil-like predecessors with a far more effective and simple-to-use design. Using Freudenthal’s technology, medical professionals are now able to replace a once incredibly invasive, expensive and risky open-heart procedure to one done through small incisions made in the chest. The procedure from start to finish can now be done in about thirty minutes with minimal scarring. Once the device is in place, the defective heart is considered completely healed.
Sources: Dr. Franz Freudenthal
