UCLA Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

7 ways to ensure your medical device product design isn’t biased

Correcting unintentional biases in medical device product design is a big step toward improving equity in medtech.

[Image from Pixabay]Achuta Kadambi, an assistant professor at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, says when looking at bias in medical devices, there’s often a lot of narrative in the media of what it is. However, it’s also important to address what it doesn’t show.

“One that doesn’t show up is that it’s a really challenging technical problem and an exciting technical problem to address,” he said, citing an example of how light doesn’t play well with darker objects like darker skin tones.

Kadambi, who recently published a column in the journal Science about achieving fairness in medical devices, says there has to be a technical passion for solving these problems. (He also discussed his views during a recent DeviceTalks Weekly podcast.)

He adds that the social impact is equally crucial …

7 ways to ensure your medical device product design isn’t biased

Correcting unintentional biases in medical device product design is a big step toward improving equity in medtech.

[Image from Pixabay]

Achuta Kadambi, an assistant professor at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, says when looking at bias in medical devices, there’s often a lot of narrative in the media of what it is. However, it’s also important to address what it doesn’t show.

“One that doesn’t show up is that it’s a really challenging technical problem and an exciting technical problem to address,” he said, citing an example of how light doesn’t play well with darker objects like darker skin tones.

Kadambi, who recently published a column in the journal Science about achieving fairness in medical devices, says there has to be a technical passion for solving these problems. (He also discussed his views during a recent DeviceTalks Weekly podca…

UCLA prof: Racial bias in medical devices based in physics

(Image from the American Lung Association)

The laws of physics may be making medical devices biased against people of color, according to a UCLA engineering professor.

Achuta Kadambi, an assistant professor at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, published a column in the journal Science about how dataset representation is not the only factor leading to bias in medtech.

Kadambi described how the inherent physics behind medical devices could vary across race and gender, citing several examples of potential physics-based bias.

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

DTW Podcast Ep. 42 – How the pandemic has accelerated, slowed medtech innovation

The pandemic has accelerated innovation in many ways but the physical pressures on entrepreneurs, innovators and engineers is very real.

In this episode of the DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast, a panel representing early-stage and tech transfer efforts explain how they’re helping individuals and young companies work through the unique challenges of the time, including finding capital, working with corporates, understanding opportunities in a changing healthcare market, seeing the silver linings

Guests include

Jennifer McCaney, PhD,,co-executive director, UCLA Biodesign Jackie Mejia, PhD, director, gBeta Medtech Scott Morley, director, office of economic partnerships, University of Pittsburgh

This conversation is a condensed version of our Jan. 19 DeviceTalks Tuesday. Go to DeviceTalks.com to watch the entire on-demand presentation.

Co-host Chris Newmarker, executive editor of MassDevice, also shares his top 5 stories of the week, aka, #Newmarker…

DTW Podcast Ep. 42 – How the pandemic has accelerated, slowed medtech innovation

The pandemic has accelerated innovation in many ways but the physical pressures on entrepreneurs, innovators and engineers is very real.

In this episode of the DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast, a panel representing early-stage and tech transfer efforts explain how they’re helping individuals and young companies work through the unique challenges of the time, including finding capital, working with corporates, understanding opportunities in a changing healthcare market, seeing the silver linings

Guests include

Jennifer McCaney, PhD,,co-executive director, UCLA Biodesign Jackie Mejia, PhD, director, gBeta Medtech Scott Morley, director, office of economic partnerships, University of Pittsburgh

This conversation is a condensed version of our Jan. 19 DeviceTalks Tuesday. Go to DeviceTalks.com to watch the entire on-demand presentation.

Co-host Chris Newmarker, executive editor of MassDevice, also shares his top 5 stories of the week, aka, #Newmarker…