Contemporary witnesses about the evolution of interventional cardiac catheterisation for CHD:

Interview with Kurt Amplatz – radiologist, inventor, entrepreneur

J. Weil*, J. Meyer Lenz**, Th. Mir*, G. Müller** University Heart Center Hamburg GmbH, Department of Paediatric Cardiology;**Department of History, Hamburg University

BackgroundProject of the German Society of Paediatric Cardiology (DGPK): Documentation of the History of Paediatric Cardiology since 1950 in Europe, inter-viewing its honorary members. The interview with Kurt Amplatz, Prof. em. University of Minnesota, took place at Weimar October 4, 2012. AimThe documentation of the contemporary witness of Kurt Amplatz, a pioneer in the field of interventional radiology and pediatric cardiology, inventor of basic tools and devices in this field, above all the Amplatzer occluders®.MethodAn interview with standardised questions recorded on video. The transcription undergoes an evaluating and analysing process of historico-medical contextualisation. We present some aspects of his career, photos and videosequences.

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The interview October 4, 2012 – Foto l: Kurt Amplatz interviewed by Jochen Weil. Foto r (l to r): Kurt Amplatz, GötzMüller, Jochen Weil, Johanna Meyer-Lenz (Photos: J. Meyer-Lenz)

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Lillehei, DeWALLWarden 1954 with theoroginal first HLM

Dr. Kurt Amplatz, examines thefirst occlusion device braider – St. Jude Medical .

Kurt Amplatz, Photograph byCraig Bares in 2006peoplecompanies/businessleaders

1957 – 1999 Kurt Amplatz Professor of Radiology University MnIII: His contributions in the field of paediatric cardiology

Some of his innovative techniques / devices forcatheterisation and angiography:

High-resolution x-ray equipment e.g. double contrastcoronary angiography and Heparin-coated guides wires

Sheathed neeedles for angiographyan effective light weight portable injector for detection of

small intracardiac shunts in children; (4)introduction of left heart catheterisationSpecially shaped cardiac catheters, i.e. the modified

Amplatz for left / right coronary angiografy (photo r) The textbook, a record of the collated experiences :K.

Amplatz et al. „Radiology of congenital heart Disease“(1986)Kurt Amplatz personally witnesses (e.g.):

How he went to Stockholm to learn the original percuta-neous vessel puncture technique of Seldinger in 1957

How he launched the start-up company of his youngerdaughter feeding to her company „Microvena“theGooseNeckSnare in 1979 (photo r)

K. Amplatzabout 1957

Results:1.The document records the epoch-making starting situation in Minneapolis in

the fifties and his outstanding scientific and entrepreneurial accomplish-ments from 1957 up to today influencing enormously the new field of Paedi-atric Cardiology.

2.It documents the contribution of Kurt Amplatz to the increasing part of interventional cardiology since 1990s.

Kurt Amplatz: an original method of sterilisingcathters

Discussion:1.What are the aspects which have to be added? (e.g. the paradigm shift of scientific and technological research / networks)

2.What is about the role of transfer / of cooperative colleagal work / of global concurrence and copy ? “The best compliment is to be copied.“ (Kurt Amplatz, October 4, 2013)

Reference person: Prof. Dr. med Jochen Weil - University Heart Center Hamburg GmbHDepartment of Paediatric Cardiology Phone: +49 (0)4074 – 56825 jweil@uke.de

Injector for left heartcathterization

AEPC 47th Annual Meeting of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Surgery 22nd-25th May 2013 London. For references and addenda cf. handout p. 2

Temporal witnesses about the evolution of interventional cardiac catheterisation for CHD:Interview with Kurt Amplatz – radiologist, inventor, entrepreneur (2)

J. Weil*, J. Meyer Lenz**, Th. Mir*, G. Müller** University Heart Center Hamburg GmbH, Department of Paediatric Cardiology;**Department of History, Hamburg University

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References

(1) „Over the past 40 years, Dr. Amplatz has been one of the most prolific and inventive individuals in academic radiology, and there are to his credit innumerable inventions. Manyof these inventionsbecame part of the past and current armamentarium utilized in the radiologic diagnosis and treat-ment of diseases. [...]His academic productivity includes [...] seven textbooks,68 chapters in books by other authors, and more than 1000 scientific presentations at national and international scientific meetings.[...] “Since 1980 he „has received innumerable awards for his scientific work[...].“ He traineda lot of disciples from all over the world.“ in: Castaneda Zuñiga WR: About KurtAmplatz: GoldMedal Winners (of the American Roentgen Ray Society): Kurt Amplatz. AJR September 2000 vol. 175no. 3:910

(2) Wilson LG, Medical Revolution in Minnesota, A History of the University of Minnesota Medical School. St. Paul, Minnesota 1989

(3) Gordon J, The Return of Dr. Kurt Amplatz. May 2006.http://www.tcbmag.com/peoplecompanies/businessleaders/71076p6.aspx( 07-11-2012)

(4)Kieffer SA, Gedgàudas E, Peterson HO, A Brief History of the department of Radiology. Minnesota MS 1967: 25

(5) FDA accessdata www: fda / gov / (April 13, 2013)

(6)Michael Afremov, Respondent, vs. Kurt Amplatz, M.D., Appellant, Franck Gougeon,Appellant, AGA Medical Corporation, Appellant. http://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/2004/opa030448-0113.html (07-11-2012)

(7) Life Work Of Kurt Amplatz, M.D. Honoured By $50 Million Gift to U Of M Children's Hospital. Article Date: 11 Feb 2009. Medicalnewstoday:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/138566.php (07-11-2012)

(8) MEDCITY News November 19, 2010http://medcitynews.com/2010/1 (May 1, 2013)

(9) Brody, JA, Scientist at work: Kurt Amplatz; at 79, a Pioneer of Heart Devices ist not about to quittinkering. NYTimes, September 09, 2003; http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/ (March 11, 2013)

(10)“We sell our devices in 112 countries [...] International markets represented 59.2% of our net sales in 2008 and 61.1% of our net sales in the six months ended June 30, 2009, and we anticipate continued growth internationally as we expand our presence in [...] countries such as China (and) expand our direct sales presence into additional European countries [...].” AGA Medical Holdings Inc. WWWNASDAQ. com/markets/ ipos/company/aga-medical-holdings-inc (April 13, 2013)

Photos: Courtesy by Kurt Amplatz

AEPC 47th Annual Meeting of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Surgery 22nd-25th May 2013 London