Season 2 ‘Meet the Innovators’: On-site at the Center for Device Innovation at Texas Medical Center
As a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies (JJMD), Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC (JJI), and the Texas Medical Center (TMC), CDI @ TMC brings together the unique strengths and resources across these great enterprises to create a novel approach for medical device innovation.
Episode 1 - ‘Special Edition’ - An Interview with William (Billy) Cohn, MD, Vice President, CDI @ TMC
“Billy Cohn, MD: Making Medtech Makers at Johnson & Johnson’s CDI @TMC.”
In this candid video interview onsite at the Center for Device Innovation in Houston, TX, Billy Cohn, MD, VP of Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Device Companies and Director, Center for Device Innovation at Texas Medical Center reflects on his extensive device patent journey and shares the keys to overcoming the never-ending challenges that plague device innovation.
Episode 2 - An Interview with Richard Hanbury, Founder and CEO, Sana Health
“Sana’s Wearable Solution for Chronic Pain.” Start-up Sana Health is taking on one of the biggest health crises in the world today: opioid use, as part of a larger mission to redefine the way pain is treated. Sana’s novel FlowState technology induces deep relaxation, promotes neuroplasticity, reduces pain, and triggers sleep in as little as 10 minutes. In this candid interview, Richard talks about his experiences in founding the company and what’s next.
Episode 3 - An Interview with Eric Wells, Founder and CEO, Telluride Medical Partners
“When One Door Closes Another Door Opens: The Story of Telluride Medical Partners.” Emerging Arizona-based medical device accelerator Telluride Medical Partners LLC (TMP) is comprised of business entrepreneurs, medical device start-up experts, and medtech engineers who are committed to bringing disruptive technologies to market. In this candid interview, Founder and CEO Eric Wells talks about his early career, his experiences in founding the company, and what’s next for TMP.
Episode 4 - An Interview with Sahil Diwan, Co-founder and CEO, SafKan, Inc.
“OtoSet: Sonicare for the Ears” An Arizona-based medical device start-up SafKan Inc is pursuing an alternative to the current standard-of-care for excess or impacted earwax— unchallenged for nearly two centuries—with the world’s first automated ear cleaning device for clinical use, the OtoSet. In this interview, co-founder and CEO Sahil Diwan talks about his experiences in co-founding the company and what’s next for SafKan.
Episode 5 - An Interview with Mehran Talebinejad, CEO, NeuroQore
“NeuroQore’s Electromagnetics: A New Way to Treat Depression & Neurobehavioral Disorders.” Silicon Valley medical device start-up, NeuroQore Inc., has developed a novel platform technology that it believes can be applied to many neurobehavioral disorders and could provide rapid treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). The team is striving to put an end to the most devastating of all endings: suicide. In this interview, co-founder and CEO Mehran Talebinejad talks about his experiences in co-founding the company and what’s next for NeuroQore.
Episode 6 - An Interview with Jacob Kriegel, CEO, Alleviant Medical
“A Hole in the Heart Alleviates HF Symptoms.” Houston medical device start-up, Alleviant Medical, is developing a novel transcatheter technology that applies left atrial decompression to provide symptomatic relief for congestive heart failure. In this interview, co-founder and CMO Jacob Kriegel, MD talks about his experiences in co-founding the company and what’s next for Alleviant Medical.
Episode 7 - An Interview with Leonard Weisman, Co-founder, President, CTO, Vax-Immune Diagnostics
“LabReady, Set, Go: Accurately Diagnosing Infections Faster and From Home.” Houston medical device diagnostics start-up, Vax-Immune Diagnostics LLC, has developed LabReady, a hand-held, portable, disposable device. This novel diagnostic platform device was designed to revolutionize the identification process of infectious disease. In this interview, co-founder, President, and CTO Leonard Weisman, MD talks about his experiences in co-founding the company and what’s next for Vax-Immune.
Episode 8 - An Interview with Paul Leake, Co-founder and CEO, VerteCore Technologies
“VerteCore: Wearable Spinal Decompression.” Mississippi medical device start-up, VerteCore Technologies LLC, has developed VerteCore Lift, a wearable orthopedic device, to innovate the way back pain is managed. The device alleviates nerve root impingement related sciatica and neurogenic intermittent claudication that results from spinal stenosis with mobile, non-surgical decompression. In this interview, co-founder and CEO, Paul Leake talks about his experiences in co-founding the company and what’s next for VerteCore.
Episode 9 - An Interview with William Altman, CEO, and Christina Bolch, Sr. Biomedical Engineer, Corinnova
“Robots Hug the Heart for HF Relief.” Houston-based start-up, CorInnova Inc., is developing a minimally invasive soft robotic cardiac device that they anticipate will shift the paradigm of existing heart failure (HF) treatments, and may reverse the progression of HF or even prevent its development in post-heart attack patients. In this interview, CEO William Altman and Senior Biomedical Engineer Christina Bolch talk about their experiences in getting the company and its technology where it is and what’s next for CorInnova.
Episode 10 - An Interview with Andrew Bartynski, Co-founder Aescula Tech
“Reverse Chocolate for Dry Eye.” Los Angeles-based start-up, AesculaTech, Inc., is developing a platform of temperature-responsive smart materials, including their first product, AesculaGel, a punctal plug for the treatment of dry eye syndrome that is applied as a liquid then solidifies at body temperature and blocks tear ducts. In this interview, co-founder Andrew Bartynski talks about his experiences in getting the company and its technology where it is and what’s next for AesculaTech.
Episode 11 - An Interview with Steven Hansen, CEO & Co-founder, Odin Technologies
“Odin's Turning up the Pressure on Compartment Syndrome Diagnosis.” Chicago-based smart medical device start-up Odin Technologies LLC is developing The Valkyrie, a noninvasive diagnostic tool to monitor compartment pressure and tissue perfusion in trauma patients, therefore decreasing the percentage of patients undergoing unnecessary fasciotomies.
Episode 12 - An Interview with Albert Huang, MD, Founder and CEO, Allotrope Medical
“Stimulating the Ureter to Streamline Surgery.” Houston-based medical device start-up Allotrope Medical intends to advance surgical precision using safe electrical stimulation, potentially presenting a paradigm shift in ureter identification and protection during surgery.
Episode 13 - An Interview with John Zellmer, MA, Co-founder and CEO, Intelligent Implants
“Electrical Stimulation for Bone & Tissue Healing.” Houston-based orthopedic start-up Intelligent Implants is pioneering the use of wireless electrotherapeutic devices that stimulate bone and tissue growth, and promote healing– all in real-time.
Acknowledgments
Our sincere appreciation to each of the below contributors of the ‘Meet the Innovator’ interview series. Your dedication, guidance, and support has helped make the series a success!
Thank you to Kayleen Brown - host; Chandula Perera - Video Editor; Kate Olson - Intro/Outro Music; and AVCOM - Season 1 Production Crew. Special thanks to Jonathan McEvoy, Creative Director, AVCOM for developing the intro for ‘Meet the Innovators’ and for his significant help in making Season 1 a success.
