The 40th anniversary of an event that some consider to be the seminal one in Orange County’s biomedical history came this past week.
On Sept. 21, 1960, the Starr-Edwards artificial mechanical heart valve was implanted into a 52-year-old Oregon farmer at the University of Oregon Medical School. The device came out of the Santa Ana laboratory of Miles “Lowell” Edwards, an electrical engineer by trade.
Edwards had been trying to build an artificial heart since 1958, shortly after he retired from a career as a fluid dynamics engineer. His interest in heart problems came from battling two rheumatic fever episodes during his adolescence.
Edwards believed that he could eventually mechanize a human heart and its valves. A consultation with Dr. Albert Starr, a University of Oregon Medical School surgeon, changed that tack. Starr suggested instead Edwards should look at developing an artificial heart valve.
The first Starr-Edwards mitral valve was designed, developed, tested and placed into a patient’s heart within two years. That patient, Philip Amundson, lived another 10 years after the valve’s implant,a fall from a ladder, not his medical condition, was responsible for Amundson’s death.
Edwards Laboratories eventually moved from a small Santa Ana office with two assistants to a 500-employee manufacturing facility on Red Hill Avenue in Irvine. That building was not far from Edwards Lifesciences Corp.’s corporate headquarters today, where updated versions of Edwards’ valves,and his name,live on.
American Hospital Supply Corp. bought the original Edwards Laboratories in 1966. Edwards Laboratories later became the cardiovascular unit of Baxter International Corp., which spun it off in April as Edwards Lifesciences. Edwards Lifesciences, which employs approximately 1,430 people in Orange County, ranked No. 2 on the Business Journal’s recent list of local medical device makers.
Several professionals from the original Edwards Laboratories were involved in biomed start-ups. Those included Don Shiley, whose Shiley Laboratories made disc-driven heart valves and Jim Bentley, whose Bentley Laboratories produced membrane oxygenators. Warren Hancock, with Hancock Labs, Bruce Vorhauer, with VLI, Ted Gourley with CDI and George Smyth, who became president and chief executive of Interpore, also came out of Edwards Laboratories.
Expanded Dental Coverage
Delta Dental Plan of California and the TRICARE Management Activity are starting an enhanced dental benefits program for U.S. military retirees and their family members Oct. 1. San Francisco-based Delta Dental covers about 3,000 retirees in Orange County through the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program.
Enhanced benefits include coverage for cast crowns, onlays, bridges, partials/dentures, orthodontics and dental accidents, along with several additional diagnostic and preventive services. TRICARE and Delta officials said they have a goal of expanding coverage to an estimated 4.2 million eligible military retirees and their family members.
Overall, Delta Dental and its affiliate, PMI, cover around 100,000 Orange County residents. Large OC Delta Dental clients include the Walt Disney Co. and Rockwell International Corp.
Bits and Pieces:
Health Care Property Investors Inc., Newport Beach, received financing of $83 million on a portfolio of 12 medical office buildings and physician clinics St. Joseph Health System, Orange, moved some of its corporate offices to 500 S. Main St., in the Union Bank Building MedicineNet.com, Irvine, was selected by Bindley Western Drug Co. to provide Web development, hosting and healthcare content to 1st Choice for Value, Bindley Western’s independent retail network; Bindley Western Drug Co. is a division of Bindley Western Industries Inc. Southern California Portable X-Ray EKG, Newport Beach, acquired PDS Medical Diagnostic and Information Services, for $260,000 in cash; the new company is called Interstate-pds Medical Diagnostic and Information Services and provides pediatric and adult sleep studies Pacific Life Underwriting Services, Fountain Valley, launched a disability income plan for employer groups with 10 or more enrollees sold through work sites. Pacific Life Underwriting is a unit of Pacific Life & Annuity Co. … Sangui BioTech International, Santa Ana, said GlukoMediTech AG, its German subsidiary, submitted two applications for patents in that country regarding its implantable glucose sensor for people with diabetes.
