# #363: Bringing a Self-Funded Medical Device to Market

- Show: [Global Medical Device Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast)
- Published: 2024-05-02
- Length: 39m
- Episode: 363
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market
- Listen: https://podcast.greenlight.guru/episode/363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market

## Summary

Dr. Lee Hunter, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Hunter Medical Devices, details his journey of self-funding a stainless steel arm positioner for elbow and wrist arthroscopy. He explains how an initial licensing failure taught him critical design lessons, leading to a simple, effective device that he brought to market without venture capital. Hunter discusses the importance of utility patents, maintaining a lean quality system, and the strategic decision to eventually sell the IP while retaining the company.

## Chapters

- [0:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=43) Introduction: Dr. Lee Hunter and Hunter Medical Devices
- [5:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=325) Early Frustrations and the First Licensing Agreement
- [11:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=714) Designing the Arm Positioner and Self-Funding
- [13:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=789) Regulatory Strategy and Lean Quality Systems
- [16:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=1000) Expanding from Elbow to Wrist and IP Strategy
- [24:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=1473) Advice on Failure, Feedback, and Value-Based Healthcare
- [35:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market#t=2123) Future Directions and Final Advice for Innovators

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Hunter Medical Devices (company)
- LSI (other)
- OrthoHelix (company)
- Paragon (company)
- Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S4E47 Mark Byrne | Startup Engineering, Funding, & Assumptions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-12-08-s4e47-mark-byrne-startup-engineering-funding-assumptions) (Being an Engineer)
- [017 - "Feet First" with Ahmed Zobi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-01-26-017-feet-first-with-ahmed-zobi) (Let's Combinate)
- [#019 - Chairless chair, with Keith Gunura of noonee, Switzerland](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-29-019-chairless-chair-with-keith-gunura-of-noonee-switzerland) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Episode 1 - The Hardware Story of Inito w/ Aayush Rai | Building a B2C medical hardware company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-story/2024-06-26-episode-1-the-hardware-story-of-inito-w-aayush-rai-building-a-b2c-medical-hardwa) (The Hardware Story)
- [S5E8 Aaron Call | How to Find Money for MedTech Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-02-23-s5e8-aaron-call-how-to-find-money-for-medtech-startups) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-05-02-363-bringing-a-self-funded-medical-device-to-market. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Global Medical Device Podcast.