Devices & Diagnostics, Hospitals, Startups

Google Hangout: Smarter scalpels, safer radiation and scaffolds for sinusitis

The world is changing fast for medical device companies and it’s becoming an evolve or […]

The world is changing fast for medical device companies and it’s becoming an evolve or die moment for big companies and small ones. In this month’s MedCity News Google Hangout, I will be talking with four people who working on new and innovative devices. Each person’s work is designed to help patients or make treatment more efficient. A surgeon entrepreneur has built a scalpel that helps patients heal faster. An oncologist has found a way to make radiation treatment for breast cancer safer. And an entrepreneur is working on a new device to help people living with chronic sinusitis. We’ll also hear from a designer who works with healthcare professionals.

Bookmark this page and come back at noon Eastern today (Nov. 6) to join the conversation. You’ll be able to tweet questions and comments to #mcnhangout.

Here are our panelists for our medical devices hangout.

Dr. Jerome Canady
is the inventor of the Canady Hybrid Plasma Scalpel. The scalpel allows surgeons to simultaneously cut and coagulate at less than 98° F. This reduces intraoperative blood loss and tissue damage as well as patient recovery time after surgery. Dr. Canady has more than 25 years of experience in the clinical and experimental application of plasma technology in surgical settings including transplantation, joint replacements and Stage 4 cancer compassionate care procedures. He is a heaptobiliary surgeon and CEO and chief science officer at Jerome Canady Research Institute for Advanced Biological and Technological Sciences and US Medical Innovations, LLC.

Susan Stimson is the vice president of marketing at Intersect ENT. The company is working on a treatment for people with chronic sinusitis. The company’s device – PROPEL – props open the ethmoid sinus cavity after surgery and allows for delivery of steroid directly to the sinus mucosa. Stimson served as director of marketing and clinical research for start-up heart valve repair company, Mitralign. She also worked for Guidant Corp in marketing, sales, research and development, clinical research, and manufacturing.


Dr. Julia White
is the director of breast radiation oncology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She is developing new methods to individualize breast radiation treatment for patients by developing new technologies such as prone, conformal, partial breast, and image-guided therapies. Since 2007 she has served as Chair of the Breast Cancer Committee for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Recent studies show prone radiation therapy cuts the amount of lung and heart tissue affected by radiation therapy by 90 percent. White has worked with Qfix to develop a new board for this kind of treatment.

“The prone board allows gravity to pull the breast away from the chest wall, and create a more uniform shape that we can distribute the dose of radiation through evenly,” White said. “With this board, we can keep the radiation in front of the ribs, so we don’t even need to go into the thoracic cavity and skim the lung and heart.”

James Wilson is a principal at Continuum, a design firm that works for clients in the financial services, food and beverage, health services, hospitality and retail industries. Wilson’s work often focuses on human factors and medical device design. His medical portfolio includes products in the surgical, diagnostic, wellness, clinical, and healthcare services fields for clients including Boston Medical, Siemens, Depuy, Respironics, and Mindray. His consumer and industrial experience includes work on products for Samsung, APC, Hoover, HP, Jarden, Moen, Insinkerator, and Proctor & Gamble. Wilson holds more than 20 design and utility patents and he has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Design from Staffordshire University and a Master of Science degree in User-Centered Design from the University of Salford.

Bookmark this page and come back Thursday, Nov. 6 at noon Eastern to join the conversation or watch the livestream on our Google+ page.

Veronica Combs

Veronica is an independent journalist and communications strategist. For more than 10 years, she has covered health and healthcare with a focus on innovation and patient engagement. Most recently she managed strategic partnerships and communications for AIR Louisville, a digital health project focused on asthma. The team recruited 7 employer partners, enrolled 1,100 participants and collected more than 250,000 data points about rescue inhaler use. Veronica has worked for startups for almost 20 years doing everything from launching blogs, newsletters and patient communities to recruiting speakers, moderating panel conversations and developing new products. You can reach her on Twitter @vmcombs.

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