Prof Angelini designed the stabiliser device and devoted two years of his career to its development.
The device was made of stainless steel and cost about £800, but it could be reused hundreds of times.
Although disposable stabilisers are more commercially available, prototypes like Prof Angelini's stabiliser have paved the way for modern-day inventions.
He said: "When I started my training in the early 1980s, the mortality for coronary artery bypass surgery was around 15% to 20%; now it is down to 1% to 2%."
In 2024, Prof Angelini was named as one of the Seven Wise Cardiac Surgeons of the Golden Age of the 1990s, a reference to the Ancient Greek tradition of naming the seven wisest men.
Prof Angelini said he was honoured alongside some of his heroes at the Old Greek Parliament.
"It was very exciting, because the other six people were what I'd describe as my heroes," he said.
"I was really the baby of the bunch because these guys were the generation before mine.
"I felt pleased with this as a recognition from my peers and to be in the presence of such distinguished surgeons."
