Kurt Amplatz
Encyclopedia
Dr. Kurt Amplatz is an Austria
n radiologist and medical device inventor. He is best known for the invention of the Amplatzer Septal Occluder as well as the Amplatzer Cribriform Occluder, which is used for closing atrial septal defect
, a common congenital heart defect
found in infants. These devices are inserted by percutaneous catheter placement, thus avoiding open heart surgery
. In 1958, he performed one of the first percutaneous catheterizations of the heart
.
Amplatz spent most of his 40-year career in Radiology as the Chairman of Interventional Radiology at the University of Minnesota
. In 1995, he founded AGA Medical, a publicly-held medical technology company headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota
.
The University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, sponsored by a $50 million donation from his daughter, Caroline, opened on April 30, 2011 in Minneapolis, MN.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n radiologist and medical device inventor. He is best known for the invention of the Amplatzer Septal Occluder as well as the Amplatzer Cribriform Occluder, which is used for closing atrial septal defect
Atrial septal defect
Atrial septal defect is a form of congenital heart defect that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum. The interatrial septum is the tissue that divides the right and left atria...
, a common congenital heart defect
Congenital heart defect
A congenital heart defect is a defect in the structure of the heart and great vessels which is present at birth. Many types of heart defects exist, most of which either obstruct blood flow in the heart or vessels near it, or cause blood to flow through the heart in an abnormal pattern. Other...
found in infants. These devices are inserted by percutaneous catheter placement, thus avoiding open heart surgery
Open Heart Surgery
Open Heart Surgery was released on August 8, 2000 by rock band Virginwool. The band signed to Breaking/Atlantic Records after initially beginning signed to Universal Records. The album was produced and mixed by Brad Wood....
. In 1958, he performed one of the first percutaneous catheterizations of the heart
Cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done for both investigational and interventional purposes...
.
Amplatz spent most of his 40-year career in Radiology as the Chairman of Interventional Radiology at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. In 1995, he founded AGA Medical, a publicly-held medical technology company headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota
Plymouth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 65,894 people, 24,820 households, and 17,647 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,002.0 persons per square mile . There were 25,258 housing units at an average density of 767.4 per square mile...
.
The University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, sponsored by a $50 million donation from his daughter, Caroline, opened on April 30, 2011 in Minneapolis, MN.