ABSTRACT
Paul G. Yock, MD (Figure 21.1), is the Martha Meier Weiland professor of medicine and professor of mechanical engineering. Dr. Yock is cochair of Stanford’s new Department of Bioengineering and director of the Stanford Program in Biodesign. Dr. Yock is a Stanford cardiologist internationally known for his work in inventing, developing, and testing new devices, including the Rapid Exchange™ balloon angioplasty system, which is the dominant angioplasty system in use worldwide. Yock also invented a Doppler-guided hypodermic needle system, the Smart Needle™, and P-D Access™. Dr. Yock is director of the Center for Research in Cardiovascular Interventions, a Stanford facility that develops and tests new technologies in cardiovascular medicine. The focus of Dr. Yock’s research program is the eld of intravascular ultrasound. He authored the fundamental patents for intravascular ultrasound imaging and founded Cardiovascular Imaging Systems, now a division of Boston Scientic. In 1998 Dr. Yock developed a new interdepartmental and interschool program at Stanford, the Medical Device Network (MDN). Recently MDN has been expanded under Dr. Yock’s leadership into a broader research and educational initiative, the Stanford Program in Biodesign. MDN is now BDN, the Biodesign Network. The primary mission of Biodesign is to promote the invention and implementation of new health technologies through interdisciplinary research and education at the frontiers of engineering and the biomedical sciences.*
MDR&D: I understand that you are an inventor on least 36 patents. PGY: I think that’s true. I think there are 40-some now. MDR&D: Some of the inventions are the rapid exchange catheter and intervascular
ultrasound. And you’re a practicing cardiologist? PGY: Yes. MDR&D: Also, professor of medicine, and cochair of the Stanford Bioengineering
Department, as well as cofounder with Dr. Peter Fitzgerald of the Center for Research and Cardiovascular intervention, as well as director of the Stanford Biodesign Program.
