Bridging the Innovation Gap, Uniting Doctor Driven Ideas and Medical Device Manufacturers

I recently attended a physician society dinner and was seated at a table enjoying a glass of wine with the usual chatter over all of the healthcare changes.  As the discussion settled down, the doctor next to me leaned my way and quietly began a conversation.  He described in general terms an idea he had for a device that he was developing.  He proceeded to ask if I would be interested in helping him get connected with a manufacturer that may want to bring his idea to market.  This set off a cascade of thoughts as this has happened to me many times over the 20+ years I have been in medical device sales and unfortunately it seldom has a positive outcome for the surgeon or the manufacturer.

Doctors often have great ideas because they’re the ones using the devices and are well suited to create innovative solutions or new approaches.  However, they often lack the time or expertise to develop their idea further than a sketch or a concept they have refined in their heads while operating or interacting with patients.

Conversely, I have set up many meetings for surgeons to present their ideas to device companies only to have them go nowhere.  The feedback I often get from the manufacturer is that the idea or concept is “interesting” but not developed enough for them to put resources into it.  They frequently have a full funnel of ideas and products already that are competing for engineering time and they need to prioritize which ones they pursue.  Unfortunately, this puts manufacturers in a difficult spot to have to say “no” to a doctor which may hurt their relationship. All too often they drag things along with a “maybe” hoping to avoid the issue.

So how do we bridge the gap between physician driven great ideas and medical device company needs?  Generally, the solution is to take the idea further than a sketch.  To advance the idea to engineering drawings, create a 3D model, and/or do an initial IP search.  The farther along the idea is, the more valuable it becomes to a manufacturer.  Yes, this takes time and money; however, the investment can pay great dividends if accepted into the product development funnel of the right manufacturer.