8th October when the heart beats

BLOG 19/2025 dt 08.10.2025

8^th October is a day when Hopps gave hope to heart to beat again. Canada’s biomedical engineer John Hopps is the inventor of the instrument that keeps the heart alive, a Cardiac Pacemaker. Based on the technology invented by Hopps, the first pacemaker was developed by Engineer Rune Elmqvist, a Swedish Physician turned Engineer. The first implantable pacemaker was implanted on 8^th October 1958 by Surgeon Ake Senning into the chest of Arne Larsson, a 43 years old man. The Pacemaker consisted of 2 transistors and was assembled in a mold of empty Kiwi Shoe Polish tin.

The first pacemaker lasted only for 3 hours and the second for a few more days. Larsson, the person who took it first had to undergo 26 such procedures before his death in 2001. Incidentally, Hopps himself had to undergo a pacemaker implantation in 1984. The struggles of the Engineers and Doctors in those days have made it possible for today’s generation to get a fix for their dard-e- dil.

Statistics on pacemakers:

• Approximately 3 million people use pacemakers worldwide.
• Global market was valued at around $ 4.7 b in 2021.
• Modern pacemakers can include wireless communication features for remote monitoring.
• The survival rate for patients is around 90%.
• Approx 90% pacemaker implants are on men, reflecting gender disparity in cardiac care.

References:

https://bcmj.org/articles/john-hopps-and-pacemaker-history-and-detailed-overview-devices-indications-and

https://gitnux.org/pacemaker-statistics

About the author: The author of the Blog, Sayed Azhar Hasan, is a CFA (ICFAI), MBA, PGDIBF (Islamic Banking and Finance), ex banker with 29 years of banking experience and a management educator.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional financial, legal, or regulatory advice. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of any institution or regulatory body.