July 2022 Issue: Pulsed-field ablation, DeviceTalks Boston and the Pharma 50

 

What is pulsed-field ablation? Here’s what you need to know

Dexcom CEO expects ‘science boom’ with CGM, automated insulin delivery

Tips for vetting contract manufacturers

They said it at DeviceTalks Boston

FDA can’t explain drop in device recalls, but experts point to COVID disruption

2022 Pharma 50: The 50 largest pharmaceutical companies

Innovators shake up the Pharma 50

As a father raising a toddler and an infant, I was relieved by the latest milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic: the authorization of vaccines for children between 6 months and 5 years.

The good news came as Pharma Editor Brian Buntz and the rest of our team were putting the final touches on this edition’s Pharma 50 project. It’s our annual ranking of the biggest pharmaceutical companies by global revenue, featured on our affiliated Drug Discovery & Development site. (Our Big 100 report on largest medic…

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DeviceTalks Boston 2022: Here’s what you missed on the show floor

At DeviceTalks Boston 2022, there was a wealth of expertise to be had from exhibitors including Viant, ICS, PSN Labs, Propel and more.

From stories of overcoming challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic to medical device materials pitfalls to avoid, MassDeviceandMDO executive editor Chris Newmarker hit the DeviceTalks Boston show floor to discover insights.

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They said it at DeviceTalks Boston

Proximie CEO Nadine Hachach-Haram [Photo courtesy of Proximie]Medtech insiders convened at DeviceTalks Boston 2022 in May to discuss device design, innovation and trends shaping the industry now and in the years and decades ahead.

Here are some of the most quotable insights from panelists and speakers at our live event.

And make sure to save the date — and save your seat — for DeviceTalks West in Santa Clara, California on Oct. 19 and 20.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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They said it at DeviceTalks Boston

Proximie CEO Nadine Hachach-Haram [Photo courtesy of Proximie]

Medtech insiders convened at DeviceTalks Boston 2022 in May to discuss device design, innovation and trends shaping the industry now and in the years and decades ahead.

Here are some of the most quotable insights from panelists and speakers at our live event.

And make sure to save the date — and save your seat — for DeviceTalks West in Santa Clara, California on Oct. 19 and 20.

Read on to hear what medtech leaders had to say at DeviceTalks Boston 2022.

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What is pulsed-field ablation? Here’s what you need to know

Top experts at Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Acutus Medical shared insights about pulsed-field ablation’s potential at DeviceTalks Boston. Part of the Farapulse pulsed-field ablation system, the Farawave single-shot catheter is designed to create durable and circumferential lesions. [Image courtesy of Boston Scientific]Pulsed-field ablation is a non-thermal method for cardiac ablation that has the potential to positively disrupt the way atrial fibrillation is treated.

PFA’s roots go back to the dc ablation tech of the 1980s. These days, PFA generally involves high-voltage electric pulses from a catheter-delivered electrode or electrodes, delivered each at a tiny fraction of a second. Its potential advantages versus radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation include the characteristic that heart muscle tissue can be especially susceptible to it, while other types of surrounding tissue are injury resistant.

It’s hard these days to find a cardiac device company…

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What is pulsed-field ablation? Here’s what you need to know

Top experts at Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Acutus Medical shared insights about pulsed-field ablation’s potential at DeviceTalks Boston.

Part of the Farapulse pulsed-field ablation system, the Farawave single-shot catheter is designed to create durable and circumferential lesions. [Image courtesy of Boston Scientific]

Pulsed-field ablation is a non-thermal method for cardiac ablation that has the potential to positively disrupt the way atrial fibrillation is treated.

PFA’s roots go back to the dc ablation tech of the 1980s. These days, PFA generally involves high-voltage electric pulses from a catheter-delivered electrode or electrodes, delivered each at a tiny fraction of a second. Its potential advantages versus radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation include the characteristic that heart muscle tissue can be especially susceptible to it, while other types of surrounding tissue are injury resistant.

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How Boston Scientific uses clinical feedback to advance innovation

Put simply, the reason most people enter the medtech space is to make a big difference in the lives of patients.

However, the process isn’t always straightforward,

That’s according to Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) SVP of Urology and Pelvic Health Meghan Scanlon. Speaking on the “How Boston Scientific uses clinical feedback to advance innovation” panel at DeviceTalks Boston last week, Scanlon explained how vital the early stages of product development can be.

“Early on, have a strong hypothesis for what your value proposition is going to be,” Scanlon said. “But, don’t go etch it in stone tablets. Use a pencil or an erasable marker and constantly test and validate it. Have an understanding of what your evidence generation plan is going to be over time and don’t let the pursuit of perfection be the enemy of progress.”

Scanlon was joined by Boston Scientific VP of Corporate Digital and Patient & Referrer Marketin…

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How Stryker includes users for product design in the digital age

“Focus on UI/UX (user interface and user experience) is paramount,” said Siddarth Satish, VP of Digital Innovation for the Surgical Technologies business at Stryker. [Photo courtesy of Stryker]Medical device developers and manufacturers like Stryker (NYSE:SYK) are changing how they approach design as digital technology becomes more crucial.

Four Stryker executives shared how the Kalamazoo, Michigan–based orthopedic device giant is thinking differently about medical product development and how health care providers and patients will ultimately use them.

The DeviceTalks Boston panel of Stryker executives was moderated by Stryker Orthopaedics and Spine Group President Spencer Stiles this week. Read our earlier coverage on their discussion of medtech trends and more from leaders at Medtronic and Harvard University.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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How Stryker includes users for product design in the digital age

“Focus on UI/UX (user interface and user experience) is paramount,” said Siddarth Satish, VP of Digital Innovation for the Surgical Technologies business at Stryker. [Photo courtesy of Stryker]

Medical device developers and manufacturers like Stryker (NYSE:SYK) are changing how they approach design as digital technology becomes more crucial.

Four Stryker executives shared how the Kalamazoo, Michigan–based orthopedic device giant is thinking differently about medical product development and how health care providers and patients will ultimately use them.

The DeviceTalks Boston panel of Stryker executives was moderated by Stryker Orthopaedics and Spine Group President Spencer Stiles this week. Read our earlier coverage on their discussion of medtech trends and more from leaders at Medtronic and Harvard University.

The following has been lightly edited for space and clarity.

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DermaSensor wins MedTech Innovator Mid-Stage Companies Pitch Event

DermaSensor can evaluate a skin lesion for skin cancer risk in under 30 seconds, according to the company. [Image courtesy of DermaSensor]DermaSensor — the creator of a handheld, point-and-click device to quickly assess skin lesions for cancer risk — is the winner of the MedTech Innovator Mid-Stage Companies Pitch Event.

The Miami-based mid-stage company beat out 1,000 applicants, more than 20 of which competed on-site May 10–11, 2022 at DeviceTalks Boston. DermaSensor walked away with a cash prize and admission to MedTech Innovator and its host of benefits.

DermaSensor’s device uses optical spectroscopy. A light-emitting tip non-invasively touches the lesion, receiving and analyzing data from below the skin at cellular and subcellular levels. The technology could help general practitioners better spot lesions that are potential problems before forwarding their patients to a dermatologist for further evaluation.

Research involving 57 general practitio…

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DermaSensor wins MedTech Innovator Mid-Stage Companies Pitch Event

DermaSensor can evaluate a skin lesion for skin cancer risk in under 30 seconds, according to the company. [Image courtesy of DermaSensor]

DermaSensor — the creator of a handheld, point-and-click device to quickly assess skin lesions for cancer risk — is the winner of the MedTech Innovator Mid-Stage Companies Pitch Event. 

The Miami-based mid-stage company beat out 1,000 applicants, more than 20 of which competed on-site May 10–11, 2022 at DeviceTalks Boston. DermaSensor walked away with a cash prize and admission to MedTech Innovator and its host of benefits.

DermaSensor’s device uses optical spectroscopy. A light-emitting tip non-invasively touches the lesion, receiving and analyzing data from below the skin at cellular and subcellular levels. The promise of the technology is could help general practitioners better spot lesions that are potential problems before forwarding their patients to a der…

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Medtronic’s VC leader discusses risk, returns, strategy and an ‘ugly truth’

David Neustaedter is Medtronic’s VP of venture investments [Photo courtesy of Medtronic]A panel of medtech investors convened today for DeviceTalks Boston included David Neustaedter, vice president of venture capital at Medtronic (NYSE: MDT).

He’s spent 14 years in the role, including as director of venture capital at Covidien before Medtronic acquired the company (read more in his DeviceTalks speaker bio).

Medtronic has more than $500 million in venture investments, managed by Neustaedter’s group and others in the company. Every investment handled by his group requires two things.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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