Hardware Podcasts

S5E14 Ian McEachern | Artificial Hearts, Times Square LED Displays, & Engineering Freelancing

Being an Engineer · 5 Apr 2024 · 49m · Episode 14

What this episode covers

Ian McEachern, an R&D engineer with over 15 years of experience designing artificial hearts and blood pumps, discusses the unique challenges of medical device development and the importance of persistence in engineering. He shares a detailed story about Thoratec’s HeartMate II pump, illustrating how initial failures led to incremental improvements and eventual success. McEachern also defines R&D engineering as 'world building' and highlights the shift from manual sourcing to online platforms like Xometry and Protolabs for rapid prototyping.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Thoratec, Medtronic, Aerojet, Xometry, Protolabs, Chamfer, Martin Marietta
Products
HeartMate II, HeartMate III
Tools
SolidWorks

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