Fearnot Receives AAMI Laufman-Greatbatch Prize

Neal Fearnot, a Purdue Biomedical Engineering alum, has been selected by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation to receive their top honor, the Laufman-Greatbatch Prize.
Fearnot, who studied under the late Professor Les Geddes at Purdue, received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1975, his Master's degree in 1978, and his PhD in 1980. He is currently Chairman of the Board for MED Institute, which was founded in 1983 as a resource for Cook Group companies to identify, research and develop medical products and concepts. He is also a vice president of Cook Group, Inc., where he helps guide regulatory submissions worldwide.

His nomination was submitted by Professor Willis Tacker Jr., another collaborator with Dr. Geddes, who is currently a Professor of Basic Medical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at Purdue, and a leading expert on defibrillation. Tacker, who received the award in 2007, nominated Fearnot specifically for his creativity and leadership in the medical device industry. Fearnot holds 65 U.S. and foreign patents, among them the first exercise-responsive pacemaker and the first hand-held electrocardiogram - both developed at Purdue.

The Laufman-Greatbatch Prize was first awarded in 1975 and named for Harold Laufman, MD and Wilson Greatbatch, PhD, two of the most renowned leaders and pioneers in the medical device field. The Prize honors an individual or group that has made a significant, singular, and global impact on the advancement of patient care or patient safety through the advancement, development, enhancement, or creation of a specific medical device, instrument, or service. This award is regarded as the pinnacle of all AAMI awards and exemplifies the achievements of Drs. Laufman and Greatbatch.  Professor Geddes received the honor in 1987.