E. Converse Peirce 2nd facts for kids

Edmund Converse Peirce 2nd was an important American doctor who lived from 1917 to 2003. He was a professor and leader in a special field of medicine called hyperbaric medicine at a big hospital in New York City. Dr. Peirce helped improve medical tools that save lives, especially those that help people breathe.

Who Was Dr. Edmund Peirce?

Edmund Converse Peirce 2nd was born on October 9, 1917, and passed away on August 8, 2003. He was an American physician, which means he was a medical doctor. Dr. Peirce spent many years working at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, New York City. From 1966 to 1991, he was a professor and also directed the hyperbaric medicine department there.

What is Hyperbaric Medicine?

Hyperbaric medicine is a special type of medical treatment. It involves giving patients pure oxygen in a room where the air pressure is much higher than normal. Think of it like being deep underwater, but in a safe, controlled chamber. This high-pressure oxygen helps the body heal in many ways. It can be used to treat things like serious infections, decompression sickness (which divers can get), and wounds that are not healing well. Dr. Peirce was a leader in this field for many years.

Helping Hearts and Lungs

Dr. Peirce was also famous for his work on "artificial circulatory technologies." This sounds complicated, but it means he helped create and improve machines that can do the job of a person's heart and lungs. These machines are super important during difficult surgeries, especially heart or lung operations.

The Membrane Oxygenator

One of Dr. Peirce's most important contributions was to improve a device called the membrane oxygenator. Imagine a machine that can take blood from a patient's body, add oxygen to it, and remove carbon dioxide (a waste gas), just like healthy lungs do. Then, it sends the oxygen-rich blood back to the patient. This is what a membrane oxygenator does! It acts as an "artificial lung." Dr. Peirce's work helped make these devices safer and more effective, which has saved countless lives during complex medical procedures.

A Career of Discovery

Throughout his career, Dr. Peirce was very dedicated to research. He wrote and published more than 150 scientific articles. These articles shared his discoveries and improvements with other doctors and scientists around the world. His work helped many people and advanced the field of medicine, especially in how we support patients during critical times.