Edward Both

Life & Legacy

Edward Thomas "Ted" Both, OBE (26 April 1908 – 18 November 1987) was an Australian inventor credited with the development of a number of medical, military, and general-purpose inventions. He was assisted by his brother, Donald Both, and together the brothers ran their company Both Equipment Limited, located in Adelaide, South Australia. These included a low-cost "iron lung" which was dubbed the Both Cabinet Respirator, a humidicrib, the first portable electrocardiograph and the "visitel" – a forerunner to the modern fax machine. His inventions gained him an OBE in 1940, and his work led to Both being given the moniker "Edison of Australia".