See Also:Biography of Paul Zoll
The Self-Retaining Myocardial Electrode
Ten years after implanting their first pacemaker, Drs. Zoll and Frank began development of a new epicardial electrode, to be placed securely in the myocardium with a small well tolerated procedure. An "arrow head" implantation tip evolved into a "hook". Two hundred twenty seven experiments were performed with the hook electrode in 27 laboratory animals before the electrode was implanted into four patients who had failed transvenous endocardial electrode placement. The electrode (Model 6919) did not gain acceptance in clinical trials. Medtronic totally redesigned the electrode, maintaining the "hook principle" (Model 4951). It is especially well suited for atrial placement and is in current production.
Zoll RH, Zoll PM, Frank HA, Belgard A. A New Self-Retaining Myocardial Electrode. Cardiac Pacing. Piccin Medical Books. P1125-1128. 1983
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External Noninvasive Temporary Cardiac Pacing: Clinical Trials
An external cardiac pacemaker-monitor has been developed that provides safe, effective noninvasive ventricular stimulation that is well tolerated in conscious patients and allows clear recognition of electrocardiography response. The noninvasive temporary pacemaker (NTP) has now been applied in 134 patients in five hospitals. Stimulation was tolerated well in 73 of 82 conscious patients, and nine found it intolerable. The NTP was effective in evoking electrocardiographic responses in 105 patients; the 29 failures were in the presence of prolonged hypoxia or severe discomfort. The NTP was clinically useful in 82 patients: 43 of 86 were resuscitated from emergency or expected arrest, 38 of 40 were maintained in standby readiness for up to 1 month but did not require stimulation, and one of the eight patients with tachycardia obtained some clinical benefit. The NTP was especially useful in 25 patients with complications or contraindications to endocardial pacing and in 57 patients in whom insertion of an endocardial electrode was avoided.
Zoll PM, Zoll RH, Falk RH, Clinton JE, Eitel DR, Antman EM. External noninvasive temporary cardiac pacing: clinical trials. Circulation 1985; 71: 937-944. Back to Top
Paul Zoll and His Collaborators
Dr. Zoll's curriculum vitae lists 96 publications between 1934-1989 which include 53 separate co-authors. The eleven collaborators represent those who joined Dr. Zoll in more than two efforts and are listed by the number of joint efforts in each category with the exception of Alan Belgard. We regret any exclusions, for Dr. Zoll was not comprehensive in listing the totality of his publications.
Collaborators in Arrhythmia Investigations
Arthur J. Linenthal, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard
Alan Belgard, B.S.E.E., Associate in Medical Research, Beth Israel Hospital
Leona Norman Zarsky, M.D., Associate in Medical Research, Harvard
Howard A. Frank, M. D., Clinical Professor of Surgery, Harvard
Ross H. Zoll, PhD, M.D., Associate in Medical Research, Beth Israel Hospital
Research Fellows
Milton Paul, M.D., Research Fellow in Medicine, Harvard
William Gibson, M.D., Research Fellow in Medicine, Harvard
Collaborators in Cardiac & Clinical/Pathological Investigations
Herman L. Blumgart, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard
Monroe J. Schlesinger, M.D., Clinical Professor of Pathology, Harvard
A. Stone Freedberg, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard
Stanford Wessler, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard
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