Dr. Takuyo Aoyagi (second from left), senior manager at Nihon Kohden, receives the 2015 Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE) “Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology.” (Photo: Business Wire)
Dr Takuo Aoyagi, inventor of pulse oximetry technology and senior manager of Nihon Kohden, has received the 2015 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology. The IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
Each year, this prestigious honor is awarded to an individual, a team of individuals, or multiple recipients for outstanding contributions or innovations in engineering within the fields of medicine, biology, and healthcare technology. Dr Aoyagi was selected for his pioneering contributions to pulse oximetry, which have had a profound impact on healthcare. The invention, first published in 1974, has driven a new era of patient safety during anesthesia and is recognized as the standard of care for the assessment of oxygenation, spanning virtually every domain of medical practice.
Dr. Aoyagi joined Tokyo-based Nihon Kohden Corp in 1971 as a manager of the development department and was promoted to general manager in 1985. He has served as a senior manager of his namesake, the Aoyagi Research Laboratory since 1991. In his current capacity at Nihon Kohden Corporation, Dr Aoyagi continues to explore oxygen-monitoring technologies for the advancement of diagnosis, treatment, and improved patient safety.
