FARAPULSE™ PFA PLATFORM Team Wins Inaugural Thomas J. Fogarty Innovation Prize

– Rapidly adopted medical technology has transformed care for more than half a million patients with atrial fibrillation worldwide –

Allan Zingeler, Raju Viswanathan, PhD, and Michael Mahoney of Boston Scientific have been awarded the inaugural Thomas J. Fogarty Prize (Fogarty Prize) for the FARAPULSE™ PFA Platform. The award, which includes an unrestricted $100,000 cash prize and a custom-cast bronze medallion, was announced on October 24 at a sold-out black-tie gala in San Francisco. More than 300 leaders from medtech, venture, academia, healthcare, and local government attended the celebration. The Fogarty Prize honors innovators who have developed and successfully commercialized a life-changing medical technology.

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The FARAPULSE team - Allan Zingeler (center), Raju Viswanathan (right center), and Mike Mahoney of Boston Scientific (left center) - were awarded the inaugural Thomas J. Fogarty Innovation Prize by Andrew Cleeland, CEO Fogarty Innovation (far left), and Allan Will, Executive Chair (far right).

The FARAPULSE PFA Platform is an advanced treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. It uses bursts of precisely timed electrical pulses to selectively inactivate the problematic heart cells while leaving nearby critical structures unharmed. Compared to traditional thermal ablation methods, ablation with the FARAPULSE PFA Platform has been demonstrated to be a safe alternative, while providing substantial improvements in efficiency and ease of use. Reflecting these compelling clinical advantages, the FARAPULSE PFA Platform has become one of the fastest-adopted technologies in medical device history.

“We are honored to be recognized for the inaugural Fogarty Prize,” said Allan Zingeler, co-founder and CEO of Farapulse. “Our team invented an entirely new approach to AF ablation using pulsed field ablation with a dynamic catheter. The FARAPULSE PFA Platform delivered on all of our mission criteria and has become the gold standard for AF ablation in less than two years. Patients and their physicians are delighted with the outcomes.”

“The Fogarty Prize celebrates the spirit of bold innovation that Tom Fogarty embodies, and his relentless pursuit of ‘a better way,’” said event emcee Allan Will, chair of EBR Systems and SetPoint Medical, director of Fogarty Innovation, and founder of The Foundry LLC. “He always reminded us that great ideas must be practical, effective, and improve patients’ lives to have real value.”

“The Fogarty Prize recognizes remarkable innovators whose breakthroughs ripple across lives, families, and entire communities,” said Fogarty Innovation CEO Andrew Cleeland. “It also shines a light on the broader medtech community, and the teamwork, resilience, and grit it takes to turn ideas into therapies that improve, restore, and even save the lives of millions around the world.”

Finalists Also Recognized

The event also honored the two other extraordinary finalists for this year’s prize: John Adler, MD, for developing Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery (Cyberknife and ZAP Surgical Systems), and Michael Harrison, MD, for pioneering the field of fetal surgery. Videos documenting their journeys were introduced by esteemed physician-innovators and medtech leaders Carla Pugh, MD, PhD; K. Angela Macfarlane; and Fred St Goar, MD. The winner was chosen by an independent selection committee, which noted that the vote was exceptionally close.

Named in honor of Thomas J. Fogarty, MD—a pioneering cardiovascular surgeon and icon in medical device innovation—the Fogarty Prize is made possible through a foundational grant from the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, with additional support from Wilson Sonsini. The Prize celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to improving patient care through transformative technologies.

Nominations for the 2026 Fogarty Prize will open on March 2, 2026.

About Fogarty Innovation

Fogarty Innovation is a nonprofit educational medtech incubator dedicated to advancing human health worldwide. Founded by Thomas J. Fogarty, MD, it is headquartered on the El Camino Health campus in Mountain View, California. More: www.fogartyinnovation.org

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“The Fogarty Prize recognizes remarkable innovators whose breakthroughs ripple across lives, families, and entire communities.” — Fogarty Innovation CEO Andrew Cleeland