Medical Device Product Design: Developing Today's Technologies to Address Tomorrow's Challenges

Medical technology has advanced the practice of healthcare and improved countless lives over the past 50 years. Going forward, new technologies will also need to demonstrate cost benefits through better management of chronic disease in order to solve both clinical and economic healthcare challenges. Medtronic is the world leader in implantable devices with more than 43,000 employees in 120 countries. In 2011, Medtronic plans to launch more than 60 major new products in therapeutic areas ranging from coronary artery disease to diabetes to degenerative disc disease to heart failure. The facilities in Santa Rosa, CA produce solutions for a range of cardiovascular diseases including aortic aneurysms, heart valve insufficiencies, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. This talk discusses the product development process for a medical device while presenting some of the emerging technologies that will both enable and shape the industry in the future. Topics will include incorporating scientific principles into product design and approaches for idea generation, prototype testing, and concept feasibility testing.

Speaker: Dr. Joseph Berglund, Medtronic