#377: Designing a Medical Device for a Global User

Global Medical Device Podcast · 25 Jul 2024 · 43m · Episode 377

What this episode covers

Dr. Matthew Wettergreen, Director of the Global Medical Innovation program at Rice University, explains how his curriculum prepares students for medical device careers by simulating professional practice across diverse healthcare contexts. He details the program's use of 'lenses'—local (Houston), global (Costa Rica), and out-of-context (Brownsville, Texas)—to teach students how to design devices that address upstream and downstream healthcare realities rather than just clinical technology. The discussion highlights specific innovations like the Pumani CPAP and Anoscope telemedicine device, emphasizing the need for humility and understanding patient, provider, and payer perspectives to create solutions that actually go to market.

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