intricon Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Intricon names medical device veteran as CFO

NEWS RELEASE: Intricon names medical device veteran as CFO

Intricon CFO Shaun Blakeman [Photo courtesy of Intricon]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Oct. 11, 2023) — Intricon, developer and manufacturer of medical devices powered by smart miniaturized electronics, today announced that it has named Shaun Blakeman as its chief financial officer (CFO) and newest member of its executive team.

“Shaun is a seasoned global financial executive with 25+ years of operational and broad business experience as well as a proven record of results-driven impact,” said Scott Longval, Intricon chief executive officer. “I am confident we will benefit from Shaun’s leadership as we continue to transform the organization to drive enhanced growth, innovation, and value for our customers.”

Scott added that Shaun was selected given his deep understanding of the medical device industry and his expertise in finance for global businesses. He…

Intricon plans Costa Rica’s first facility for sensor-driven devices

Intricon assembles electromagnetic navigation and other sensor-driven medical devices. [Photo courtesy of Intricon]

Medtech supplier Intricon today announced plans to open Costa Rica’s first facility dedicated to the development and manufacturing of medical devices with microelectronics, biosensors and electromagnetic navigation (EMN) sensors.

St. Paul, Minnesota-based Intricon’s Costa Rica location in Grecia’s Evolution Free Zone is scheduled to open next year. The company will add production jobs in the second half of next year and expects up to 150 employees at the 35,000-f² facility, which has room to expand to more than 150,000 f².

Intricon Costa Rica has hired Jorge Herrera as site manager to lead the project’s design and construction. The company also hired Sofia Vargas as business development manager from CINDE, the Costa Rican firm that helped Intricon with site selection…

Intricon launches Biosensors Center of Excellence for medical devices

Biosensors are used in a growing number of smart medical devices, such as Medtronic’s InPen System with Guardian Connect continuous glucose monitor (pictured) [Photo courtesy of Medtronic]

Intricon today said it has launched a new Biosensors Center of Excellence focused exclusively on medical devices.

The St. Paul, Minnesota-based medical device developer and manufacturer said the center of excellence combines Intricon’s biosensor device expertise and capabilities into a vertically integrated business unit focused solely on bringing biosensor medical devices to market.

Intricon CEO Scott Longval [Photo courtesy of Intricon]

“OEMs and startups need an approach like this because there are important intricacies in creating medical biosensor devices versus consumer biosensor products,” Intricon CEO Scott Longval said in a news release. “Th…

Understanding the design of electromagnetic navigation technology

An example of an embedded electromagnetic (EM) sensor in a catheter tip [Image courtesy of Intricon]

As electromagnetic navigation becomes the top choice for surgical navigation, sensor and design considerations are critical.

David Bosch, Intricon

Since its inception in the 1990s to widespread adoption by the late 2000s, electromagnetic navigation (EMN) has emerged as the clear choice for surgical navigation and has been widely adopted in the fields of interventional bronchoscopy, urology, neurosurgery and cardiology.

A properly designed EMN system has several advantages. It can localize with the precision of optical tracking without the need for a line-of sight. It offers the convenience of fluoroscopy for intra-patient visualization without the application of ionizing radiation. And it does not expose the patient to energy fields that any more harmful than ultrasound.

Unlike alternative navi…

6 power management considerations for developing and scaling smaller, smarter micromedical devices

Efficient electrical power management systems drive continued innovation for medical grade devices from design engineering through end-of-life disposal or recycling. [Image courtesy of Intricon]

Supercharge every phase of micromedical device product development with these questions.

Mitch Johnson, Intricon

Some of the biggest considerations for designing, manufacturing and scaling today’s smaller, smarter medical innovations center on providing power to microelectronic systems.

From mechanical functionality to data operations and wireless communications, effective power management drives continued device innovation. Addressing five fundamental issues can help multidisciplinary teams bring new and next-generation medical devices to market on-time and on-budget.

1. Why: The use case

The obvious starting point is documenting the intended use. Why is a product being built and how will it be used? …

Intricon names new chief commercial, technology and financial officers

Dave Liebl is the chief commercial officer and chief technology officer at Intricon [Photo courtesy of Intricon]

Joint development manufacturer Intricon today named David Liebl as its first chief commercial and technology officer and promoted Annalee Lutgen to chief financial officer.

Liebl joined Arden Hills, Minnesota-based Intricon in August 2021 as VP of research and development. He previously served as president of Biomerics NLE’s West Operations, EVP of product and business development at Heraeus Medical Components, and president and chief technology officer at NeoMetrics.

“The new role is essential as we enhance our commercial growth strategy,” Intricon CEO and President Scott Longval said in a news release. “Dave’s commercial experience makes him an ideal leader for Intricon’s next phase of growth and development. In Dave’s expanded role, he will be responsible for accelerating …

Tolerance stack-up: Insight into the inner workings of high-density microelectronic medical devices

[Photo courtesy of Intricon]

Tolerance stack-up is a defining design concept to ensure new products are built efficiently and effectively.

Darren Gilmer, Intricon

At a time when the future of micro miniature medical devices seems unlimited, one fundamental reality remains firmly in place — the sizes and shapes of human anatomy.

From blood vessels to ear canals, respiratory passages to neural pathways, the physical dimensions of the body available for life-saving and life-enhancing medical therapies exist within a minimum and maximum range. For medical devices, the general rule for reaching deeper into the tiniest areas of the body is “the smaller, the better.

In theory, a single medical device can do many things even in the smallest anatomical feature. In actuality, building a multi-functional micromedical tool and incorporating the electronic circuits that may be required to empower it call …