The Forgotten Innovators of Medical Devices
Steve Sato and Wally Knute Story
Have you ever seen the classic movie WarGames with Matthew Broderick? It's a thrilling tale of a hacker who unwittingly hacks into a government agency and discovers that the "game" he's playing is actually a war simulation that could lead to World War III. But did you know that the movie contains a hidden gem that tells the story of two unlikely heroes who founded one of the most important medical device companies in history?
In one scene, Broderick's character is locked up in a medical clinic and he starts opening drawers filled with supplies. And in one drawer, you can clearly see boxes labeled "IVAC". This brief moment in the movie hints at the incredible legacy of Stephens (Steve) Sato and Wallace (Wally) Knute, the founders of IVAC.
Sato was an industrial designer, and Knute was an engineer. Both were brilliant. They had a passion for creating innovative medical devices that could revolutionize the industry. Their first major invention was the hospital thermometer with the disposal tips. This was a game-changer for doctors and nurses, who finally had an easy and accurate way to take someone's temperature.
But Sato and Knute's biggest breakthrough came with their invention of a pump that regulated IVs in hospitals. This device allowed medical professionals to precisely control the amount and speed of fluids administered to patients. It was a major improvement over the previous manual method, and it made medical procedures much safer and more effective.
The company that Sato and Knute built was IVAC. IVAC became one of the most important medical device companies in history, employing thousands of people in San Diego and defining the entrepreneurial model for the city's "Life Sciences" technology cluster.
Sato eventually took over as the CEO of IVAC, and the company was eventually sold to Eli Lilly for the equivalent of $250 million in today's money. But despite IVAC's success, the legacy of Sato and Knute has been largely erased from history. It's a shame because their contributions to the medical industry were truly groundbreaking.
But thanks to that brief glimpse of an IVAC box in WarGames, we can remember the incredible legacy of Steve Sato and Wally Knute, two unlikely heroes who changed the world with their innovative medical devices.
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This meant so much to me. I am Wally Knute’s sister and to see them remembered as such innovators in the medical field is so deserved.
I worked at ivac in the early days from 76 to the mid '90s. There were many more who contributed. I was honored to work there. I try to tell every medical doctor that I've come in contact with over the years and they look with at me with a blank face. They have no idea. At least I tell him the story.