05/14/2026
Here’s a blast from the past. Can you guess the technology?
Hint: One was programmed manually with a scalpel screwdriver. The other helped launch a global standard of care.
Okay okay… We’ll just tell you.
The big one on the right is an early pacemaker from 1972 (about the size of a tennis ball). Average battery life? Just 18 months.
The smaller one on the left is a lithium-iodine-powered pacemaker from 1995—a major step forward in both size and capability. This model was one of the first to integrate software-based programming, long-term pacing stability, and greater battery life.
These tiny powerhouses changed the world. Today, over 3 million people are living with pacemakers worldwide. That’s not just progress—it’s lives lived longer, stronger, and more fully.
Alfred Mann played a critical role in early-pacemaker technology, and huMannity's continued that legacy by developing technologies that have had similarly transformative impacts in areas like neuromodulation and targeted drug delivery.