At 85, Pioneer Shapes Careers of Future Innovators
In 1987, Les Geddes was awarded the AAMI Foundation/Laufman-Greatbatch Prize, which honors individuals who have made a unique and significant contribution to the advancement of medical instrumentation. In observance of AAMI’s 40th anniversary this year, AAMI News will profile acclaimed medical technology innovators during the year.
Les Geddes admits he was “speechless for the first time ever” when many of his colleagues and former students recently held a surprise tribute in honor of the 85-year-old medical technology innovator and educator. And while speakers from industry and academia lined up at the event at Purdue University to share stories of days gone by, this celebration was no retirement party.
Geddes, the Showalter Distinguished
Professor Emeritus of Biomedical
Engineering at Purdue, is still as active as
ever. Having developed an automated, implantable miniature
defibrillator, a regenerative
tissue graft, and
numerous other medical
innovations, he is now
developing more
advanced equipment and
a system for performing
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR)—a method
that he says “doesn’t break ribs.”
A typical day for Geddes begins before the rooster crows, rising at 3:00 a.m. to arrive at work 90 minutes later. And by 10:30 a.m. he has already answered dozens of e-mails, taken a walk around campus, worked on a grant application, and taught a class at the university.
But colleagues note that Geddes is so much more than just a tireless workhorse at the university’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.
“Dr. Geddes is just a wonderful person who is so dedicated to his students,” says George Wodicka, head of the Weldon School and professor of electrical and computer engineering.“He has really set an environment here for learning. Our alumni — many of whom are now in leadership positions — continually express their gratitude for his mentoring them. And he has also set a terrific example for our younger faculty.”
Les Geddes and his research teams are responsible for numerous innovations, including:
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Just where does Geddes’ boundless energy come from?
According to Wodicka, “Les is innately curious. His desire to learn and to teach has kept him active.
“It’s just a pleasure to see him in the morning. One morning he’ll grab you and say, ‘come into the lab, I want to show you something,’ and he’s always so excited to show you something that he has found or discovered.”
To be sure, Geddes’ day is not complete when he’s done teaching his morning course. That’s when he’s just getting ready to head to his second job as an expert witness in medical device accident cases.
“That’s detective work,” chuckles Geddes. “It’s a hobby — it’s fun.” Geddes has lent his expertise to 120 lawsuits since 1980.
But despite his ongoing “detective” work — and his voluminous research that has spawned innovations such as burn treatments, miniature defibrillators, ligament repair, and tiny blood pressure monitors for premature infants —Geddes’ first priority has always been to his students.
“When our new students first come
to us, they don’t necessarily know
much about the field,” says Wodicka.“But when they first meet Les, he tells
them, ‘we’ve got a place for you here,’
and he’ll take them into the lab and get
them working on a project. His enthusiasm
is infectious, and he gets them
excited about the field.”
The roots of Geddes’ enthusiasm for medical technology can be traced back to his days as a student at McGill University in Montreal.
“In 1941 at McGill, I was interested in pre-med,” recalls Geddes.“But I found myself spending Sunday afternoons looking at medical technology journals and instruments. I actually understood the journals, which surprised the heck out of me.”
Soon, an instructor at McGill would formally introduce Geddes to biomedical technology, and the rest is history.
He began his career in 1952 at Baylor University College of Medicine, and was recruited to Purdue in 1974 to help the university develop an organized biomedical engineering program and create new technologies in the field. Purdue has been his professional home ever since.
In 1987, Geddes was awarded the AAMI Foundation/ Laufman-Greatbatch Prize in recognition of the importance and diversity of his contributions in biomedical instrumentation.
Some 65 years after Geddes first set foot on the campus of McGill University, he has published more than 800 papers and has been awarded 33 patents for his medical technology innovations.
When his colleagues and students threw the surprise tribute for Geddes — everyone involved, including Geddes’ wife, LaNelle — knew they had to keep the event a secret to have a chance of pulling it off.
“Les has never been interested in receiving personal recognition,” says Wodicka. “He has always been more excited to see patients benefiting from technology and about recognizing the efforts of his students.”
AAMI News: January 2007, Vol. 42, No. 1