Global Medical Device Podcast Powered By Greenlight.guru

Should your medical device company address biocompatibility? The short answer is, yes. Every single medical device should conduct some level of biocompatibility testing. What’s important is that you understand to what extent. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues of Vascular Sciences about biocompatibility of devices, the applicable FDA and ISO guidelines companies need to follow, and the possible ramifications if you don’t. Some of the highlights of the show include: Select Updates for Biocompatibility of Certain Devices in Contact with Intact Skin: FDA Draft Guidance is new, but doesn’t cover any new content. FDA’s intent is to clarify the types of biocompatibility information in submissions for certain devices made from common polymers and fabrics that come in contact with intact skin. What is biocompatibility testing? If you don’t know, that’s why regulation and guidance is necessary. Nobody knows everything, recognize what you don’t. ISO 10993 Evaluation and

What makes Greenlight Guru unique? It’s Guru edge⁠—a team of medical device professionals with decades of industry experience whose primary role within the company is to enable customer success. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Erica Loring, a medical device guru at Greenlight Guru. Erica shares her unique career journey working in the healthcare sector, which ultimately led her to enter the medical device and in-vitro diagnostic device space where she now provides world-class quality and regulatory support to device companies. Prior to joining Greenlight Guru, Erica worked in both the pharmaceutical and the biotech industry, serving as senior manager of quality and regulatory where she was responsible for implementing eQMS platforms for global enterprise companies. Some highlights of this episode include: As a medical device guru, Erica enjoys working with a wide range of companies, learns about various products, and helps those companies reach their goals by using a r

What is a multiple function device? From a high level, it’s a product with at least one portion that meets FDA’s Code of Regulations’ (CFR) definition of a medical device and at least one other portion that does not. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues from Vascular Sciences about multiple function devices to help listeners gain a clear understanding of this increasingly popular device type.

What could go wrong as more medical device products are used at home and in similar non-traditional environments outside of hospitals and healthcare facilities by non-medical professionals? In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues from Vascular Sciences. Jon and Mike discuss challenges related to safety, risk, and usability when medical devices intended for "at home" environments interface with untrained end-users.

What is FDA’s Safety and Performance Based Pathway and how does it relate to the Traditional, Special, and Abbreviated Premarket Notification 510(k) programs? In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues from Vascular Sciences about the Safety and Performance Based Pathway that's designated for certain types of medical devices only and what eligible companies should consider when using this pathway for submitting a 510(k) to receive FDA clearance.

Reminiscing about past and present lessons learned from listening to conversations with this show’s most frequent guest, one important principle emerged: Teach others how to think, not what to think. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues, president of the medical device consultancy firm, Vascular Sciences. Anyone who’s listened to the show knows that Jon and Mike are passionate about the world of medical devices, particularly design controls, regulatory affairs, and prudent engineering practices. Listen to this episode where they revisit how they met in December 2014 and what they have shared and learned through the years.

What sets Greenlight Guru apart from other quality management solutions? It’s Guru edge⁠—a team of medical device professionals with more than seventy years of combined industry experience. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Wade Schroeder, a medical device Guru at Greenlight Guru. As an electrical engineer and risk management enthusiast, Wade shares his unique approach to medical device product development and complying with regulations. He also shares a few of his favorite customer stories and offers his key recommendations to listeners on how to find success in the medical device industry.

Who looks forward to audits? Not most people except for maybe the actual auditor. Hold yourself accountable and stay audit-ready, so you can remove any pre existing concerns from the equation altogether. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Taylor Brown, a medical device guru at Greenlight Guru and certified Lead Auditor for ISO 13485. Taylor offers valuable tips on one of her favorite topics—audit etiquette. She explains her beliefs around how practicing a high level of conduct during audits alongside a right-sized quality system results in True Quality medical devices with high marks from your auditor.

What makes Greenlight Guru so unique, beyond its medical device QMS (MDQMS) software? Its Guru edge. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Tom Rish, a senior medical device Guru at Greenlight Guru. Tom brings a breadth of knowledge to the Guru team with a biomedical engineering background and experience developing implant and instrument systems for one of the world’s leading orthopedic companies. Tom expresses his unbridled commitment to helping medical device companies, for customers by leveraging our MDQMS software to bring safe, true quality products to market faster, and for listeners by offering practical advice on industry regulations, standards, and frameworks. Some of the highlights of the show include: Tom’s favorite aspect of being a Guru is trying new medical devices in the tech industry and learning the business side of sales, clients, and personalities. Tom shares his beliefs on the best way to approach regulations, standards, and frameworks by taking a step bac

The current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on clinical trials has created a sense of chaos amongst medical device companies worldwide. Are there creative ways to stay on track while ensuring the safety of those involved? In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Isabella Schmitt, Regulatory Affairs Consultant, and Stephanie Mull, Director of Clinical Project Management, from Proxima Clinical Research (CRO). Together, they discuss the challenges and concerns for medical device companies conducting clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers new perspectives for listeners to consider in terms of potential efficiencies and cost savings to gain. Some of the highlights of the show include: - Challenges related to COVID-19 include sites suspending operations of clinical trials, and restricting CROs and subjects from traveling or coming to sites. - Some medical device spaces, products, and technologies have been impacted more than others. It’s more difficult than normal,

Are you considering patent protection for your software as a medical device? Should you keep your secret sauce via the trade secret route? Perform due diligence to stay ahead of the competition. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Kevin Buckley and Neil Thompson from Torrey Pines Law Group. Their biotech-focused legal firm specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) applied to medical devices. Together, they discuss intellectual property (IP) with software as a medical device (SaMD) and AI and machine learning (ML) powered technologies. Some highlights of this episode include: • Patent or not? From a patent perspective, it’s easier to understand protecting software from an IP perspective by considering the problem to be solved. • Perform a patent search using third-party vendors to determine if competitors have claimed inventions and infringement information. • Due diligence of competitive intelligence should address licensing, acquisition, investments, and freedom to

What makes Greenlight Guru unique? It’s Guru edge, composed of a team of medical device experts with over seventy years of combined industry experience. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Jesseca Lyons, a senior medical device guru at Greenlight Guru, a self-proclaimed design control junkie with a mechanical engineer background. Listen as Jesseca shares her insights on the importance of design controls and how a deep understanding of the different pieces and parts can lead to improved outcomes for both the device and patients who use it. Some highlights of this episode include: • Customer Success Team: Jesseca is passionate about the medical device industry and connecting with customers to make a difference in their lives. • Jesseca’s favorite aspect of being a guru is the opportunity to work on different types of devices and ideas from beginning to end of the development process. • Customer Success Stories: Audits can be intimidating, but terrified customers are put a

Where do you begin when building a quality management system (QMS) for a medical device? It’s a task that is often delayed until later stages of development. Don’t wait to implement a QMS; the consequences of waiting too long can lead to irreparable damage to your processes and, in some cases, product failures. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to quality and regulatory expert Mike Drues, president of Vascular Sciences. Together they discuss why a QMS is so important to a company as it sets up its business and processes. Laying a proper foundation for a QMS to operate at its full capacity is just as critical, which involves a shared mindset and philosophy across the organization that reinforces a culture of True Quality. Some highlights of this episode include: • A QMS is not a system of compliance. It should describe how business is conducted through policies, procedures, processes, and philosophies. • If a QMS consists of devices not manufactured by the company, it’s an

What makes Greenlight Guru unique? The Guru Edge⁠—a team of medical device professionals with over eight decades of combined industry experience. Greenlight Guru’s mission is to improve quality of life, and those of customers, through True Quality products managed through its medical device quality management system (MDQMS) software. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Taylor Brown, a medical device guru for Greenlight Guru’s Customer Success team with 7+ years of industry experience. Taylor shares her valuable insights and learnings from auditing quality management systems as a certified Lead Auditor for ISO 13485. Some highlights of this episode include: • Taylor equates auditing to what needs to be done, just follow the rules, perform everything correctly, and understand how processes/people meet regulations. • Ins and Outs of ISO 13485: Understand the importance of following rules and regulations to be in compliance and not dread an audit. • Greenlight Guru: Tayl

What is regulatory due diligence? Why does it matter, and how does it differ from other regulatory strategies and pathways? In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues of Vascular Sciences about the importance of and reasons for regulatory due diligence that all medical device professionals should understand. Some of the highlights of the show include: • Regulatory due diligence involves looking at what’s been done so far when a company is developing a medical device similar to one on the market already. • Due diligence is important for business, regulatory, and engineering/product development perspectives to know before investing time, effort, and resources. • Differences and Similarities: Regulatory due diligence, regulatory strategy, and regulatory pathway to market are not synonymous and may depend on another. • Regulatory due diligence can be applicable to new or existing medical devices. Due diligence from an existing device provides essential background inf

Are you discouraged by all of the negative news and sad stories about COVID-19? Let's shift the focus to a story centered on positivity and innovation that will reignite hope for a better, safer road ahead. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Dan Purvis, CEO and co-founder of Velentium. Dan shares some much needed positivity through the uplifting stories and experiences of Project V, a collaborative venture backed by Velentium, Ventec Life Systems, and General Motors (GM). Project V is making a lasting difference by mass producing ventilators comprised of five separate devices to save lives and meet worldwide demand in response to COVID-19. Some of the highlights of the show include: • One-Stop Shop: Velentium is an end-to-end design, development, and manufacturing firm that transforms intellectual property into fully submitted and approved commercial medical devices. • The nine key areas of a medical device are human factors, cyber security, test systems, electrica

There is a spectrum of feelings someone may experience in the midst of a career transition. For some, however, being laid off can turn out to be one of the best things to ever happen to them. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Jon Speer talks to Aaron Moncur, owner of Pipeline Design & Engineering and host of the Being an Engineer podcast, as they both reflect on the twists and turns of their professional journeys to help others realize their full potential and seize new career opportunities. Some of the highlights of the show include: • Falling out of love with your role or no longer working in a previously held role? Do things differently and focus on ownership of the entire process, not just pieces. • Situational or necessity? Aaron’s sense of entrepreneurship and making his own money has existed since childhood. Being laid off pushed him into taking action. • Losing your job or starting a business: which is more terrifying? Being laid off made Aaron feel physically ill, compar

Most of us have read about, observed, participated in, and spoke with healthcare providers and medical device professionals collaborating during the COVID-19 crisis.  Creativity within reason can be an opportunity. Like many things in life, it’s not what happens to us that counts, it’s how we choose to respond. COVID-19 is not an excuse to cut corners. In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast Jon Speer invites guest Mike Drues of Vascular Sciences to join the show. Together, they share their own COVID-19 observations and insights into what has gone right and wrong, so far, for the medical device industry. Some of the highlights of the show include: • COVID-19’s unintended consequences on the medical device industry include new and agile product development, but funding challenges for some startups. • Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is temporary, until the Secretary of Health and Human Services declares that the period of emergency is over. • Why is funding and regulatory pathways easier fo

What is a regulatory strategy? What are the components involved? In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast Jon Speer talks to Mike Drues of Vascular Sciences to provide listeners with practical and pragmatic tips on how to construct a meaningful, not misunderstood, misapplied, and misused regulatory strategy. Some of the highlights of the show include: • Pro Tip: Regulatory strategy is not synonymous with Pathway to Market (element), or 510(k) and De Novo (tactics). • Regulatory Strategy Executive Summary: Living artifact that serves as a communication tool to articulate pros, cons, benefits, risks, and options. • Executive Summary components may include device description, labeling matrix, classification and risk, and potential pathways to market. • Investor Pitch Deck: Demonstrate medical device idea by knowing all options, and possessing knowledge and experience of fluid and dynamic environment. • Conventional Wisdom: Easiest, fastest, cheapest path to market to get through regulato

Does your software as a medical device (SaMD) function properly? Does it meet the needs of the end user? What are the expectations for post-market clinical surveillance and real world evidence for SaMD products in particular? In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast Jon Speer talks to Kevin Coker, co-founder and CEO of Proxima Clinical Research. Kevin shares tips and advice on what companies need to know about clinical evaluation and validation for their Software as a Medical Device (SaMD). Some of the highlights of the show include: - What IS SaMD? Software intended to be used for a medical purpose without being a part of the hardware of the medical device. - What ISN'T SaMD? Hardware that doesn’t need to be updated to function, such as a pacemaker or other embedded medical devices. - IMDRF documents capture, evaluate, and monitor SaMD categories of classification for critical or non-critical functions. - EU MDR delay means big changes to classification rules for categories, specifically S