This talk describes how basic science and engineering principles were merged to design specific biomaterials, and then convert them into novel medical devices that enabled angioplasty, the drug-eluting stent, a novel treatment for glaucoma, the next generation intraocular lens for post cataract implantation and a new wave of synthetic heart valve leaflets for percutaneous replacement of diseased heart valves.

Dr. Pinchuk has over 130 issued U.S. patents, over 100 publications and founded 10 companies. His major accomplishments include the invention of the Nylon 12 angioplasty balloon (used by all interventional cardiology companies), the helical wire stent (Johnson and Johnson/Cords, FL and Medtronic, MN), the modular stent-graft for bypassing aortic aneurysms, a drug-eluting stent (TAXUS®, Boston Scientific, MA), Bionate® polycarbonate urethane (Covestro AG, Germany), SIBS (Innovia, Miami, FL), radiation oncology catheters (TriSalus, Westminster, CO) a novel glaucoma treatment device (the PRESERFLO® MicroShunt, InnFocus/Santen, Osaka, JP), the next generation intraocular lens (Eyedeal, Xi’an China) and a pull-out injury safe urinary drainage catheter (InnoCare, Miami, FL). His inventions are used in over a billion patients world-wide with a financial impact well over $100 billion. He was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2012, he received the Ohio University/NAE 2019 Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize, which is the world’s top prize in bioengineering, for innovations in medical devices that enable minimally invasive angioplasty treatment of advanced coronary artery disease. Dr. Pinchuk received a B.Sc. in chemistry from McGill University (Montreal, Canada, 1976) and a Ph.D. in Engineering and Chemistry from the University of Miami (Miami, Florida, 1984). He also enjoys an appointment as Distinguished Research Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami (Miami, FL).