Wake Forest University School of Medicine is proud to celebrate a historic milestone as Louis Argenta, MD, and Michael Morykwas, PhD, have been named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Class of 2026.
The co-inventors are being recognized for their development of Vacuum Assisted Closure® (V.A.C.®), a revolutionary medical device that has transformed wound care globally. Since its development in the late 1980s at Wake Forest, V.A.C. therapy has been used to treat more than 20 million patients, including nearly all U.S. military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic extremity wounds. The invention is widely considered one of the most significant medical advances in the last half-century.
The story of the V.A.C. began in 1988, when Dr. Argenta, seeking a way to treat a patient with a life-threatening, non-healing wound, conceptualized a vacuum apparatus to pull the wound together.
"To see a sketch made in the margins of a book become a device that has treated 20 million people is a testament to what we can achieve when we focus on the most challenging cases. This device allowed us to treat patients who couldn't be treated before and let them go home with their families." — Louis Argenta, MD
He brought the idea to Dr. Morykwas, a bioengineer in the research lab, who constructed a prototype overnight using flasks and suction pumps.
The device worked almost immediately, leading to years of clinical trials at Wake Forest. Their research proved that applying controlled subatmospheric pressure increased blood flow, decreased bacteria, and significantly accelerated the growth of new tissue. Patented in 1997, the system has since become the global standard for treating everything from surgical wounds to diabetic ulcers and burns.
"We didn’t just create a tool; we created an environment that is much more conducive to healing and cell growth. We discovered a way to use subatmospheric pressure to physically stimulate the body to heal itself—it was about pursuing a 'crazy' idea until it worked." — Michael Morykwas, PhD
A National Celebration of Ingenuity The NIHF Class of 2026—which includes pioneers of Wi-Fi, CRISPR, and Spanx—will be officially honored this spring during a series of prestigious events in the Washington, D.C. area:
- May 6, 2026: The Illumination Ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum (USPTO Headquarters) in Alexandria, Virginia. The Inductees will place their names on illuminated hexagons in the Gallery of Icons®.
- May 7, 2026: The formal Induction Ceremony at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. Hosted by actress and mathematician Danica McKellar, this event celebrates the profound contributions these inventors have made to society.
The partnership between Argenta and Morykwas continues to thrive. In 2017, they founded Renovo Concepts Inc. to apply their expertise in mechanical tissue resuscitation to the treatment of brain and heart injuries, ensuring that the Wake Forest legacy of life-saving ingenuity continues to impact the future of medicine.