The object
Julio C. Palmaz invented the Palmaz balloon-expandable stent, an open mesh tube that holds a narrowed artery open after catheter delivery. The National Inventors Hall of Fame credits the device with transforming coronary care and reducing bypass surgery; a 2026 USPTO program names him as a featured inventor-speaker.
What Julio did
Invented the Palmaz Stent, the first commercially successful balloon-expandable intravascular stent.
Why it matters
The Palmaz Stent was the first commercially successful intravascular stent and helped make coronary stenting a standard alternative to bypass surgery.
Living-status check
The USPTO's 8 April 2026 program for its Southwest Regional Outreach Office anniversary names Dr. Julio Palmaz as a featured speaker and schedules his remarks and fireside-chat participation.