Werner Forssmann (Werner Theodor Otto Forssmann) was a German physician who got his degree in medicine from University of Berlin.
He proposed a hypothesis regarding cardiac treatment. His idea was to send a catheter through vain to heart and perform diagnosis/treatment using that. Sort of modified endoscope (developed in 1806).
The problem with his hypothesis is, if injuries happen to heart due to this, it would be fatal. Though Forssmann believed that the possibility is very low, he couldn't prove his theory as nobody was ready to risk their life.
Out of desperation, Forssmann decided to prove this using himself. Not listening to his director as well as the nurse who assisted him for this experiment (that nurse assisted him only after getting a promise that he will make the trial on her, not on him. But she was tricked by Forssmann), Forssmann tested his theory on himself.
He inserted a catheter through vein from his lower arm all the way to right atrium of heart. He took a X-Ray picture of it as a proof.
Though he was fired from his job for not listening to his superior officer, this experiment brought him - fame, a job in hospital as Surgeon, a Honorary Professor job and a Nobel Prize (For Medicine in 1956/shared with two more people).
His Cardiac Catheter procedure helps doctors to diagnose and also to treat some heart conditions. Doctors use this to detect plaques, blockages in arteries. Sometimes they even take samples of blood/heart muscle or perform minor surgeries.
Werner has risked his life to prove this procedure. He bet his heart to develop a procedure that has been saving numerous hearts since then.
To know about another guy who risked his life for science, click here
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