1 US dollar 2024 Maine – Defibrillator

Dr. Bernard Lown was a Lithuanian-American cardiologist who poured his heart into saving lives. He immigrated to the United States in 1935 to escape Nazi persecution for his Jewish heritage, eventually settling in his new hometown of Lewiston, Maine. Lown went on to study medicine and invented the direct current defibrillator, a life-saving device that uses direct electrical current in sync with the heartbeat cycle to correct abnormal rhythms, which are believed to be responsible for 40% of fatal heart attacks in the United States. Along with engineer Baruch Berkowitz, Dr. Lown began experimenting with his new device in 1961, testing it on 11 patients, some critically ill, all of whom returned normal heartbeats thanks to Lown’s defibrillator. By 1964, thousands of hospitals were using Dr. Lown’s invention to save countless lives. The DC defibrillator led to the invention of other important cardiac devices, including pacemakers and defibrillator implants, which are used by millions of Americans today.

Series: American Innovation
Face value: 1 USD
Weight: 8.1g
Diameter: 26.5mm

American Innovation, $ 1, is dedicated to the pioneering achievement of individuals or groups in every state, county and every territory in the United States. The program started in 2018. Coins are issued in the order of entry of the states into the union.