Robert Jarvik is an American cardiologist and medical researcher best known for developing the first permanent artificial heart, known as the Jarvik-7. This groundbreaking device was implanted in a patient named Barney Clark in 1982, marking a significant advancement in cardiac surgery and artificial organ technology. Jarvik was born on February 11, 1946, in Oak Park, Illinois. He earned his medical degree from the University of Utah and has since contributed to various innovations in heart health and artificial organs, continuing to influence the field of cardiology through his research and inventions.