In 1987, Dr. W. Henry Wall, Jr. invented the angioplasty stent — but he’d have to wait nearly 20 years for recognition from the US patent office. In a plot-twist worthy of a John Grisham novel, Wall’s application resurfaced when the patent-office database was computerized in 2002. After redrafting the original patent and adding in a 108-page swearback, Wall was finally awarded his patent in December 2006.
“During my cardiology rotation, I became aware of the number of patients who underwent recurring angioplasties,” Dr. Wall recalls. “The cardiologists kept re-inflating the same troubled arteries. Wouldn’t it make sense, I thought, to shore up the arteries permanently?”
In a timely and enlightening interview, Dr. Wall can discuss:
- The design and use of his angioplasty stent
- The nearly 20 year battle over ownership of the stent’s patent
- Following in his father’s medical footsteps (details on his memoir below)
- How he overcame a troubled upbringing to invent one of the most important medical devices of our time
- Why common sense is often the most useful – and sometimes overlooked – tool in medicine
In his new book, From Healing to Hell, Dr. Wall shares the true story of his father, who was subjected to the CIA’s MK-Ultra experiments of the 1950s and 60s. Dr. W. Henry Wall, Sr. was given drugs, most likely LSD, against his will and his mental health was irrevocably damaged as a result. Until his death, Dr. Wall, Sr. was plagued by psychotic episodes and often took sudden outbursts of anger and paranoia out on his family.
