Renowned Biomedical Engineer Robert H. Bartlett, Creator of Life‑Saving ECMO Technology, Passes Away at 86

Robert H. Bartlett, a pioneering biomedical engineer whose invention of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has saved countless lives worldwide, died on Tuesday at the age of 86. Bartlett’s groundbreaking system, first used clinically in the early 1970s, provides temporary heart‑ and lung‑support for patients whose organs are failing, buying them critical time for recovery, transplantation, or other definitive therapy.Born in 1939 in Boston, Massachusetts, Bartlett earned a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the faculty at the University of Michigan. It was there, in the late 1960s, that he began experimenting with a circuit that could oxygenate blood outside the body while simultaneously removing carbon dioxide—a concept that would later become ECMO.After years of animal studies and painstaking refinement, Bartlett and his team performed the first successful human ECMO run in 1972 on a newborn with severe respiratory distress. The procedure, initially met with skepticism, proved that a mechanical “artificial lung” could sustain a patient for days, weeks, and even months. Over the following decades, ECMO evolved from a niche rescue therapy into a standard of care for neonatal respiratory failure, adult cardiac arrest, and, most recently, severe COVID‑19–related lung injury.“Robert Bartlett didn’t just invent a device; he gave clinicians a lifeline when all other options had been exhausted,” said Dr. Elena Morales, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Stanford University. “His relentless pursuit of safety and efficacy set the benchmark for all subsequent extracorporeal technologies.”Bartlett’s contributions earned him numerous honors, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, election to the National Academy of Engineering, and the prestigious Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. He authored more than 150 peer‑reviewed papers and mentored generations of engineers and physicians who continue to expand the frontiers of extracorporeal support.In the wake of his death, hospitals worldwide have lowered their blinds in tribute, and the International Society for Extracorporeal Technology announced a special session at its upcoming conference to celebrate his legacy. Family members, former colleagues, and patients whose lives were rescued by ECMO have expressed profound gratitude for his lifelong dedication to improving human health.Robert H. Bartlett is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret, their three children, and six grandchildren. A private ceremony will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a public memorial service planned for later in the year. His work, however, will continue to breathe life into patients for generations to come.