Find solutions to your most demanding medtech problem at DeviceTalks West

Add some essentials to your toolbox with engineering expertise from our upcoming show in California.

In the medical device industry, stubborn problems can cost millions in development expenses and delay the introduction of new life-saving tools and technologies.

That’s why we build our DeviceTalks meetings as a forum where successful medical device engineers, manufacturers and market-builders can share their best practices, providing solutions that help clear hurdles, speed product development and potentially save lives.

DeviceTalks attendees leave our meeting with notebooks full of critical advice and pockets full of business cards. We’ll help fill both at DeviceTalks West, which takes place Oct. 18-19 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California. You can view the full agenda on our website, west.devicetalks.com.

In building the agenda, we identified diseases and conditions that have inspired significant leaps in innovation, including cardiovascular, diabetes, heart disease, neurological, mental health, stroke, and structural heart. Then we layered upon those needs the technologies that have emerged to help patients better overcome those conditions, such as catheters, digital surgery, heart valves, interventional tools, pulse generators, robotics, sensors, wearables and other technologies.

PROBLEM: Battling cardiovascular disease

SOLUTION: We’ll draw insights and inspirations from sector leaders and startups. In an opening keynote interview with Abbott SVP Julie Tyler, we’ll talk about Abbott’s growing vascular portfolio and its recent acquisition of Cardiovascular Systems. We’ll also hear from startups in the space.

PROBLEM: Treating stroke victims sooner

SOLUTION: The message “Time is Brain” drives innovation from neurovascular companies, as we’ll hear from two of the field’s leaders. Imperative Care will share how the company is adding digital health and robotics to its innovative catheter delivery designs. Attendees will hear from senior executives as well as co-founder and CEO Fred Khosravi, who will sit down for a keynote interview. Stryker is also sending a team of design experts from its neurovascular business led by R&D VP John Daniel.

PROBLEM: Developing devices to treat drug-resistant neurological disorders and mental health

SOLUTION: Neuromodulation companies employing different approaches to directing energy to critical parts of the nervous system are reporting encouraging data from clinical trials and commercial launches. Boston Scientific will report on its partnership with software company Brainlab AG to provide improved deep brain stimulation. Attendees can also connect with emerging entrants and more established start-ups such as Cala Health, SetPoint Medical and Synchron.

PROBLEM: Building better diabetes devices

SOLUTION: Over the past few years, people managing their diabetes are getting powerful tools to keep their conditions under control. DeviceTalks West attendees will have the opportunity to connect with senior executives involved with two of the more successful devices in the market. Marc Taub, divisional VP of technical operations for Abbott’s diabetes business, will speak to the success of the Freestyle Libre system. In a separate session, Mark Field, SVP and chief technology officer of Insulet, will sit down for an interview about the design and build efforts that went into the Omnipod 5 insulin pump.

PROBLEM: Mending or repairing a failing heart

SOLUTION: In multiple presentations we’ll hear from companies developing the most successful — and most promising — devices used to treat heart failure. Santosh Prabhu, divisional VP of global product development at Abbott, will sit down with interventional cardiologist Dr. Frederick St. Goar to talk about the lessons learned from two decades of the MitraClip, the world’s first transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) therapy used to stop a leaky heart. In a separate talk, Dr. Lars Søndergaard, chief medical officer of Abbott’s Structural Heart business, will lead a discussion about the company’s portfolio of pumps and valves aimed at providing life-saving support for children suffering from heart failure.

PROBLEM: Collecting, managing and interpreting medical device data

SOLUTION: In multiple sessions, experts will share the tools, technologies and systems that enable medical devices to better utilize data. Canary Medical co-founder and CEO Dr. Bill Hunter will present his company’s work on developing a new line of sensors for smart medical devices. Canary already has a partnership with Zimmer Biomet for data-collecting knee implants. Ha Hong, chief AI officer at Medtronic Gastrointestinal, will examine how the company is using AI technology and discuss strategy, best practices and recent AI innovations.

PROBLEM: Streamlining surgery with robotics, data and telecommunications

SOLUTION: We’ll explore the design, economics and broader opportunities for surgical robotics. Keynote interview guests include Intuitive President Dave Rosa and Hani Abouhalka, company group chairman, robotics and digital surgery at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, which is developing its own soft-tissue robotic surgery system. Kathryn Rieger, senior director, human factors and user research at Intuitive, will also explore the company’s approach to human-centered design. In multiple discussions, attendees will hear from Moon Surgical, Avail Medsystems and other leaders in the space.

People and process matter too, so we included discussions around building better product management systems, human-centered design, scaling up manufacturing lines, licensing out university technologies and building stronger startups.

PROBLEM: Limits in engineering careers

SOLUTION: The conference will open with a panel providing engineers with advice to help them further their careers. (And networking breaks throughout our show are great opportunities to build relationships.)

PROBLEM: Startup costs

SOLUTION: In multiple panels attendees will hear from investors, executives and others who can give practical advice for starting a company. We’ll also hear from the leader of the new FDA Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP) to help startups pass through regulatory review and win approval more easily.

PROBLEM: Sterilization of medical devices

SOLUTION: The search continues for sterilization alternatives to ethylene oxide. Hear from executives at entities developing new technologies that can help medical device companies ensure their products are safe and ready for clinical use.

These are just some highlights. Track the progress of our agenda and speaker rolls at devicetalks.com.

But we hope you see the event as more than just an opportunity to network and connect. We’re building these conferences — as well as our podcasts and digital meetings — as essential tools to helping medtech professionals do a better job.