Brief Biography
Demikov was born in Russia in 1919. His father was killed when he was young during the Russian civil war but his mother was strong and was able to give him and his siblings a decent life. Demikhov went to the University of Moscow in 1934 where his important but questionable career in science began.
Contributions
Demikov at the age of 21 created the first cardiac assist device which could take the function of the heart for roughly 5 to 6 hours. This was the first invention of its kind and has evolved a lot throughout the years. Demikhov did not stop with the artificial heart through, he pioneered various organ transplant procedures and other heart related procedures such as the coronary bypass.
Controversy
Even though Demikhov made great contributions to science and bioengineering in particular he was seen as a mad scientist. There was much discussion over the ethics of organ transplants and the ethics of his experiments. One experiment in particular granted him the title of mad scientist which was the creation of a two headed dog. By many his actions are seen as unethical but his contributions to society cannot be denied.
No comments:
Post a Comment