For many of us that work in the medical device area, the constant pursuit of the next product innovation is as natural as breathing air. The U.S. economic malaise and the rapidly escalating cost of healthcare, however, have some pundits suggesting that medical technology development must be curtailed or the country will go bankrupt. Read More
Just returned from the Converge meeting in Philadelphia, a one day meeting to discuss the convergence of technology and healthcare. I’m a born skeptic of conferences and the carousel of speakers that are on the meeting circuit, but Converge was a refreshing change. Read More
Last week the Healing Innovation website posted a blog asking whether Value-driven Engineering (VdE) is the solution to the recent challenges to innovation in the medical device industry and whether the PR on the initiative overstates the impact relative to the content of the movement. And, fundamentally is the process in itself actually innovative? The leadership at the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA), after reading the post, felt that a few of the assertions are flawed and requested an opportunity to respond. The following is that response: Read More
Anyone been following the Value-driven Engineering movement (VdE)? In response to President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative, the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA,) has launched a national effort in VdE. Read More
I grew up in the medical device industry when revenue-producing companies actually had internal R&D groups (and, I don’t even have any gray hair). Not “commercialization teams” or “New Product Development”, but actual investigation of novel medical device candidates.
Nurjana Bachman, PhD, from Boston Children’s Hospital has made the case that pharmaceutical companies are changing their approach to partnering with academic medicine and working as a team. How about medical device companies? Read More
All participants in medical device product development understand that physician involvement in the process leads to better healthcare. I have argued in the past for an even more active physician role in the early stages of medical device concept development. Patient rights groups, however, worry about conflicts of interest. The conflicts of interest are not the result of participating in the development process, but reflect the hazards of medtech promotional practices. Read More
Last week’s news that J&J is abandoning their coronary stent business was sad, but provided several lessons about poor product development execution and the need for constant innovation. Read More
We have all heard stories from doctors about some medical device company stealing their idea for a new product. Perhaps, there are real medtech bandits on the prowl, but in the vast majority of cases, it’s more a matter of misconceptions and miscommunication. Read More
