Episodes

Prapela is a medical device company focused on improving newborn health. Their primary product is a specially designed mattress that uses gentle vibrations to regulate infant breathing, particularly for babies experiencing apnea of prematurity and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. CEO & co-founder, John Konsin, joins this episode to share how many newborns, especially premature babies, experience breathing irregularities, including apnea and oxygen desaturation. Prapela's innovative mattress...

Millions of men suffer from premature (early) ejaculation, the most common sexual disorder in men younger than 40 years, with 30-70% of males in the United States affected to some degree at one time or another. This can be a major relationship issue for both partners and is often viewed as a challenging matter to discuss. Coupled with this, existing treatments like sprays, creams, and antidepressants have side effects or are found to be not very effective. Morari Medical’s CEO and Founder, Jeff...

For episode 60, and one of the most popular recordings to date, we re-release the very first episode of the show where Rajit Kamal, currently VP & General Manager of Medtronic's Surgical Robotics division, joined us to talk about early-stage innovation. This is a must listen for any medtech entrepreneur as Rajit discusses how large medtech companies approach innovation and what they look for in early-stage startups. Rajit shares insights from his years of experience in the industry, developing...

Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades MD, CEO and co-founder of Lapsi Health, joins this episode to share insights into the company's newly launched product, Keikku—a revolutionary digital stethoscope designed to enhance the detection and monitoring of health conditions through advanced acoustic processing. Jhonatan discusses how Keikku is transforming traditional stethoscopes from simple listening devices into powerful data-driven tools that support medical diagnosis and patient monitoring. Initially t...

When you’re talking to one the founding fathers of pulse field ablation, you know you’re in for a real whirlwind of wisdom. Dr. Steven Mickelsen is a board-certified electrophysiologist who invented a pulsed electric field system and founded FARAPULSE in 2012. Ten years later, he is back at it again, with the founding of Field Medical Inc., as he looks to continue the crusade for superior cardiac ablation procedures. This discussion delves deep into the anatomical anomalies that ablation looks ...

Kristin Nuckols, co-Founder & Chief Clinical Officer of Imago Rehab, joins this episode to discuss the challenges and opportunities in stroke rehabilitation. She highlights the increasing incidence of stroke and the devastating impact it can have on survivors and their families. She shares the challenges faced by healthcare providers in delivering effective post-stroke care, particularly in resource-limited settings. Kristin provides insights into her extensive experience as an Occupational The...

Millions of patients develop pressure injuries (bed sores) every year, often due to a lack of early detection. These wounds can lead to serious complications and even death. The current method of diagnosis relies on visual inspection by healthcare providers, which can be subjective and unreliable. Sanna Gaspard, CEO & Founder of Rubitection, joins this episode to discuss how she is developing a low-cost, easy-to-use medical device that uses optics to measure skin redness and inflammation, provi...

Augie Shanahan, CEO of Piccolo Medical, joins this episode to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field of central venous catheter placement. He highlights the limitations of current Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) technologies and the need for more accurate and reliable navigation methods. Piccolo Medical is developing innovative solutions to address these challenges, including their proprietary ionic dilution technology that provides real-time blood flow visualizatio...

Chris Landon, CEO of Natus Neuro, joins us to discuss the challenges and opportunities in neurodiagnostics. Six months since being appointed, Chris shares a clear vision for Natus as he explains the need for improved access to diagnostic tools and the importance of data-driven insights for better patient care. Chris emphasizes the role of technology in addressing these challenges, including artificial intelligence and cloud-based solutions. A focus on patient-centric innovation is a recurring t...

Sydney Robinson, CEO & co-founder of Vessl Prosthetics, joins this episode to discuss how they are enhancing prosthetic technology. Her innovative company is developing an advanced prosthetic socket that can offer unparalleled comfort, mobility, and functionality for amputees. During the discussion, Sydney shares her personal journey and the critical medical innovation fellowship that led to the founding of Vessl Prosthetics. She discusses the challenges faced by amputees and the limitations of...

SmartCardia is a medical technology company developing innovative solutions to improve cardiac care. The company's flagship product is a 7-lead ECG patch that collects vital signs and enables remote patient monitoring. This technology addresses the limitations of traditional ECG patches by providing more comprehensive data and facilitating real-time monitoring. Adam Kirchgessner, VP of Sales at SmartCardia, joins this episode to discuss the company's mission and technology. He highlights how th...

For our 50th episode, we are joined by Mike Hugo, a patient advocate for Medtronic, who shares the story behind his battle with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. Mike's unique perspective as both a patient and industry insider offer valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of navigating a complex medical condition. The discussion delves into Mike's journey, from initial diagnosis to experiences with a unique treatment pathway, and the impact of Novocure's incredi...

After a needlestick injury, Dr. William Travis Lau conceived a safety suturing device to protect other healthcare workers from suffering a similar incident. Partnering with Joe Lane to help create what would become SafePath Medical, they started development of the first safety suturing device for catheter securement. Though Travis tragically passed away in 2019, his legacy endures through this life-saving innovation and his contributions to patient safety and blood management practices. SafePat...

As a global leader in medical technologies, Stryker provides a wide range of innovative products to help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. With over 50,000 employees around the world working together to serve more than 150M patients annually, delivering a compliance driven culture is critical to the success of the business. Ultimately, whatever the size of your medtech organization, managing compliance risk means managing business risk. Dana McMahon, Chief Compliance Officer at Styker, j...

Imricor Medical Systems is advancing the electrophysiology field by allowing physicians to perform cardiac ablation procedures in the growing number of interventional magnetic resonance (iCMR) suites found or being developed in leading hospitals. In this episode, we are joined by Imricor’s Global Sales Leader, Greg Englehardt, to share the journey and their mission of bringing not just a set of innovative surgical tools to market, but also an entirely new operating environment! Where other large...

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that treats neurological conditions by implanting electrodes into the brain to produce electrical impulses. These impulses can control abnormal brain activity and chemical imbalances that cause conditions like Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. Despite the benefits of DBS, less than 1% of the 25 million patients who are eligible to undergo the procedure opt-in due to the invasiveness of and risk associated with traditio...

Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS) is a medical device company based in Boston, MA, focused on safely and effectively treating severely calcified arterial disease. AVS is backed by global investors including BioStar Capital and Cue Growth Partners to develop their innovative Pulse IVL System that has recently received an investigational device exemption (IDE) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin its pivotal trial. Angie Volk, VP of Business Development, and Sean Gilligan, COO...

The Future Health Index (FHI) survey conducted by Philips, a global leader in health technology, explores the challenges within healthcare systems and the innovative solutions being used to address them. From the survey findings, the recently released ninth annual report - 'Better Care for More People', demonstrates the pressures of staffing shortages and burnout on clinicians, and their ability to deliver timely, high-quality care to patients. Jeff DiLullo, Chief Region Leader for Philips Nort...

Founded in 2017, XCath is a dynamic startup at the cutting edge of revolutionary medical robotics, nanorobotics and materials science. The company develops next-generation endovascular robotic systems and steerable guidewires to treat life-threatening conditions like cerebrovascular disorders. With strategically located campuses in Houston, Texas – home to the world's largest medical center – and Pangyo, South Korea, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of Korea, XCath is committed to bringi...

Strokes are caused by blocked blood flow to the brain (ischemic stroke) or sudden bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). About 87% of strokes are ischemic with the blockage in the brain usually caused by a piece of plaque or a blood clot. Like fingerprints, no two strokes are the same. Yet, conventional therapy options are limited and can compromise patient safety.​​ Rapid Medical’s CEO and co-founder, Ronen Eckhouse joins this episode to share how they are bringing critical innovation to ...

Vasectomy is a form of male birth control that cuts the supply of sperm to semen by cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm. The procedure has a low risk of problems and can usually be performed in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. Despite contraceptive use worldwide increasing by 188 million users in the past 20 years, the number of vasectomy users fell by 27 million, a 61% decline, with almost all low-and-middle income countries reporting negligible vasectomy use. Female-to-...

Hair loss affects more than 80 million Americans—approximately 50 million men and 30 million women. This market is large and complex, but most importantly, it represents a wide range of patients. For about 25% of American men, the balding process begins in their 20s and almost 85% will experience noticeable hair loss by their 50s. Women, on the other hand, can lose their hair for a variety of reasons ranging from postpartum hormones to menopause. Traditional transplant remedies can be invasive,...

While the U.S. leads in many areas of healthcare innovation, it also lags behind much of the industrialized world in providing care for some of its most vulnerable populations. When it comes to maternal health, March of Dimes reports that a woman dies every 12 hours from pregnancy-related causes, deaths that show huge disparities and could be prevented. As an international leader in healthcare innovation, Philips is investing billions of dollars every year to advance R&D and help tackle health ...

In this enlightening episode, CEO & co-founder Melody Roberts delves into the often-overlooked topic of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and its impact on women's lives. SUI, a condition where physical movement or activity causes involuntary leakage of urine, affects millions of women, impacting their confidence and quality of life. Melody breaks down the causes, from childbirth to menopause, and the daily challenges women face, including the stigma and emotional toll associated with the condit...