Henry Heimlich
| Henry Heimlich | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Henry Judah Heimlich February 3, 1920 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 2016 (aged 96) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Education | M.D., Cornell University |
| Years active | 1943–2016 |
| Known for |
Abdominal thrusts ("Heimlich maneuver") Flutter valve |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician and medical researcher |
| Institutions | Deaconess Associations (Heimlich Institute) Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine |
| Notable prizes |
Lasker Award (1984) Engineering and Science Hall of Fame (1985) American Academy of Achievement Award (1985) Safety and Health Hall of Fame (1993) |
 Heimlich's Maneuver, Radiolab, includes an interview with Dr. Heimlich, produced by Pat Walters |
Henry Judah Heimlich (German pronunciation: [haɪ̯mlɪç]; February 3, 1920 – December 17, 2016) was an American thoracic surgeon and medical researcher. He is widely credited as the inventor of the Heimlich maneuver, a technique of abdominal thrusts for stopping choking, described in Emergency Medicine in 1974. He also invented the Micro Trach portable oxygen system for ambulatory patients and the Heimlich Chest Drain Valve, or "flutter valve," which drains blood and air out of the chest cavity.
Heimlich was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the son of Mary (Epstein) and Philip Heimlich. His paternal grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants, and his maternal grandparents were Russian Jews. He graduated from New Rochelle High School (NY) in 1937 and from Cornell University (where he also served as drum major of the Cornell Big Red Marching Band) with a B.A. in 1941. At the age of 23, he received his M.D. from the Weill Cornell Medical College in 1943. At the time, the Flexner recommendations hadn't been implemented; thus, it was possible to graduate from an American medical school in two years.
In 1962, Heimlich invented the chest drainage flutter valve (also called the Heimlich valve) and in 1969 was granted a patent for the device. He says his inspiration came from seeing a Chinese soldier die from a bullet wound to the chest during World War II, a claim which was disputed by Frederick Webster, Heimlich's medical assistant in China. The design of the valve allows air and blood to drain from the chest cavity in order to allow a collapsed lung to re-expand. The invention was credited with saving the lives of hundreds of American soldiers in the Vietnam War.
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