The Next Byte Podcast · 30 Jan 2024 · 24m
Researchers at Caltech, including Dr. Zuo and Professor Dario, designed a catheter with shark-fin-inspired triangular protrusions to prevent bacterial infections caused by Poiseuille flow. By collaborating with biologists and the Anand Kumar AI lab, they used neural operators to optimize the geometry, reducing bacterial movement by 100 times. This passive, mechanical solution avoids antibiotic resistance and addresses a $300 million annual cost for US healthcare. The team utilized 3D printing for prototyping and high-speed cameras for validation to iterate rapidly on the design.
Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.
Engineering & simulationneural operatorsfeedback time from days to minutes
The team used neural operators to optimize the catheter's internal geometry, reducing the time required for design feedback from days to minutes.
“And they are using these neural operators, which is this artificial intelligence method of processing the data for this optimization problem. And they were able to get the feedback they needed that would usually take them days within minutes…”
Speaker 1 · Hear it at 15:21
early-stage companies
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Joe Bogusky, a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Intuitive Surgical, discusses his 25-year career developing minimally invasive medical devices, ranging from robotic-controlled catheters to the DaVinci surgical robot. He details the unique engineering challenges of catheter design, such as managing conflicting stiffness requirements and testing materials like PTFE in simulated body temperature environments. Bogusky also shares insights on the future of surgical robotics, emphasizing the role of AI for low-risk tasks while maintaining physician control, and advises engineers to build custom calculation tools and study biomimicry for inspiration.
Russ Aldridge, CEO and co-founder of Sisu (with co-founder Marc Christenson), explains how the company evolved from a National Instruments integrator to a designer of sophisticated robotic applications, including a robot cinematography system and a rapid-response ventilator. Aldridge details the development of the OmniSharp knife-sharpening robot, which uses 3D modeling and force-torque sensing to handle variable blade geometries, and the creation of an intuitive controller interface that enabled the pivot to film production. He also recounts the 16-day effort to design and build 100 functional ventilators for New York hospitals during the early COVID-19 crisis, emphasizing the use of industrial-grade components and adaptive software to ensure patient safety and durability.
Michael Brooks, founder and CEO of BayCath Medical, explains how his contract manufacturing company helps startups and R&D teams accelerate catheter development by prioritizing collaboration and rapid iteration over rigid, high-volume processes. He details the manual nature of catheter manufacturing, the importance of planning for scale from the first prototype, and strategies for managing material selection and design transfers. Brooks also discusses the challenges of lead times, the 'cat and mouse' game of device reprocessing, and his approach to maintaining calm under pressure by drawing on his background as an EMT.
Dan Kasprzyk, CEO of Poba Medical and Symple Surgical and board member of Machine Solutions, recounts his journey from a bioengineering student at ASU to building Machine Solutions from $1,000 to $25 million in revenue over 12 years. He explains how his team developed a specialized crimping technology for balloon catheters, successfully selling to major medical device companies like Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Johnson & Johnson by solving a critical manufacturing pain point that large internal teams could not address. Kasprzyk details the strategic decision to focus on this specific product-led growth, which allowed the company to scale to 100 employees and eventually attract private equity interest, leading to his current ventures in microwave ablation and testing equipment.
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