From Inkjet Printer to Pacemaker: The Legacy of Rune Elmqvist

Rune Elmqvist, a Swedish engineer and qualified physician, chose invention over medical practice, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. In 1949, he patented the Mingograph, the world's first inkjet printer, using a movable nozzle to deposit electrostatically controlled ink droplets onto paper. This innovation, initially used for real-time recording of electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms, laid the foundation for modern inkjet technology. More significantly, Elmqvist collaborated on the first fully implantable pacemaker, a life-saving device that has transformed cardiology. His story highlights not only technical brilliance but also the profound impact of engineering solutions on human lives, underscored by the compelling narrative of his creation of the pacemaker driven by a wife's desperate plea for her ailing husband.