No physician inventor should apologize for making money off an innovation that improves medicine. Certain orthopedic surgeons, however, have pushed a tenuous ethical line in how they distribute their own devices. Read More
Physicians are clearly the primary clinical innovators due to their education, experience, and specialization. That said, a broad spectrum of non-physician clinicians (e.g. nurses, surgical technologists, surgical assistants, etc.) have the capacity to find inventive solutions to their clinical challenges. Read More
When it comes to developing medical devices, there are engineers that love working on complex electro-mechanical systems with sophisticated software algorithms. Maybe I am the exception that proves the rule, but for me the simpler the idea the better. In fact, when I come across an elegant solution to an entrenched medical problem in the form of a low-tech design, I just smile and give a mental high-five. Read More
Over the last 20 years, I have interacted with many physicians in my pursuit of developing novel medical devices. In almost every hospital I have traveled, from Minneapolis to Marseille, there is a physician wanting to tell you about a great idea. As I have discussed on previous blogs, many of these doctors have actually identified insightful needs, but require an engineer or technical collaborator to help identify the apparatus (i.e. the idea) to achieve their goal. Read More
