Global Medical Device Podcast Powered By Greenlight.guru

DescriptionIn April of 2023, FDA released a draft guidance entitled, "Marketing Submission Recommendations for a Predetermined Change Control Plan for Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) - Enabled Device Software Functions." In today's episode, we speak with Mike Drues, PhD, President of Vascular Sciences, about artificial intelligence in medical devices, the history of this type of technology in the medical device field, and what this guidance means and doesn't mean. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast!Questions AskedWhat does artificial intelligence mean in software as a medical deviceWhy is this new draft guidance needed?What recommendation for medical device companies does the draft guidance provide?What are the challenges with validating the modifications for an ML-DSF? (Or are there other, greater challenges?)What are some of the specific items a PCCP should include?Does a PCCP negate a future need of a Letter to File or new 510k? What would necessitate an

In this episode with Fran Cruz, Chief Customer Officer at Greenlight Guru, we explore the investment of a purpose-built electronic Quality Management System (eQMS). Some of the topics we explore are:3rd- party study by Hobson & CO that reveals significant reductions in setup time, full-time employee requirements, time spent on development and documentation, training time, and audit preparation time.The recent ROI Calculator developed by Greenlight Guru to help customers customize the study's findings to their specific inputs and demonstrate the value of the software for their business.The current economic climate, with budget cuts and limited investments, and the importance of efficiency and cost savings provided by a quality management system.Prioritizing success metrics, measuring outcomes, and holding ourselves accountable lead to better decision-making and improved effectiveness in the long run.Success criteria for customers implementing a quality management system include time to implement (time to v

In this episode, Sandra Rodriguez, an analyst at Axendia, dives deep into the complexities of Computer Systems Validation (CSV) versus Computer Software Assurance (CSA) in the MedTech sector. She discusses the FDA's draft guidance from September 2022, the industry's response, and the practical applications of it all. The conversation also covers the evolution of software validation processes, the cost of system implementation, and the importance of critical thinking in Quality System Regulations. The impact of AI on Quality Assurance, the changing dynamics of the CSA Modern Validation, and the role of Software Assurance in the life sciences industry are also discussed.Some of the highlights of today’s show include:The evolution of software validation processes, the cost of implementing a system in the life sciences industry, and the role of critical thinking in Quality System Regulations.FDA's draft guidance from September 2022, the industry's response, and its practical implementationsThe cultural shift

How can dFMEA and ISO14971 work together? This topic is controversial but essential, and today’s guest is more than capable of tackling it. Risk management is one of the top 3 reasons why the FDA issues 483s, so it’s important to understand.In today’s episode, Wade Schroeder, a medical device guru with a master's degree from the University of Dayton, shares his insights on risk management in medical device design. Wade discusses the importance of a top-down approach, the collaboration between dFMEA and ISO4971, and how Greenlight Guru software aligns with ISO14971. The conversation covers the value of considering the patient perspective, the complexities of regulatory, ethical, and business obligations, and the benefits of tools like dFMEA and fault tree analysis.Some of the highlights of today’s show include:Understanding risk management in medical device designImportance of collaboration between dFMEA and ISO4971Exploring ISO14971 and FDA consensus standardsA top-down approach to risk management in medical

Management responsibility is crucial to the success of a QMS… but what is it? What’s covered by the topic of management responsibility and who’s the responsible party? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Sara Adams, Lead Auditor, Quality Engineer, and now Medical Device guru, on the subject of management responsibility and all that entails. Listen to the episode to learn what Sara is thinking about when she thinks about the topic of management responsibility. She shares her thoughts on quality policy, organizational structure, management review, and quality systems procedures. Some of the highlights of today’s show include:Whether a summary statement is enough, or whether the policy needs to be a paragraphWho the management representative is and what they are supposed to doWhy you need management review even if you’re not selling productsGetting executive management on board with a culture of qualityMaking management review meaningfulLinks:Sara AdamsEtienne Nichols LinkedInGG AcademyGreenlight Guru

Combination products are a difficult niche because they combine so many different elements. However, today’s guest literally wrote the book on the topic, and she’s joining the podcast to share her insights. In today’s episode, Susan Neadle and I spoke on the topic of Combination Products, and specifically how she recently wrote the Handbook on this topic, with many co-authors from FDA.Susan is a recognized international Combination Products and Medical Device expert with over 30 years of industry experience. Her FDA peer-reviewed book, “The Combination Products Handbook: A Practical Guide” is available for purchase through CRC Press. Listen to the episode to hear about her past experience and how she ended up in products, how the different chapters of her book came to be, and how her collaborators were involved.Some of the highlights of this episode include:Susan’s past experiences in the industryHow Susan got into the combination products spaceSpecific examples of the multilingual approach Susan had to takeH

What is lean documentation and how can you achieve it? Our guest on today’s live podcast is an expert on quality management systems, audits, and most importantly for today’s conversation, documentation. Steve Gompertz is a partner at QRX Partners and has led initiatives in project management, engineering automation, configuration management, audit, and software development.During today’s episode, we’ll talk about the most important parts of a QMS, what differentiates a good QMS from a bad one, and how to prove ROI on a QMS. Steve will also discuss what he would do if he were starting a medical device company today. Listen to the episode to learn more about lean documentation and how you can learn to write for your actual audience – the workers – while still pleasing the auditors.Some of the highlights of this episode include:What it means to have lean documentation, and what the norm is in the MedTech communityHow to write for employees while meeting auditor requirementsBuilding a template for a standard oper

The "Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023" (more commonly referred to as the Omnibus Act) was passed and signed into law on December 29th, 2022. This amendment to the Food and Drug Cosmetic Act has expanded the scope of the FDA beyond just "safety and efficacy" to include the cybersecurity of medical devices. This amendment resembles a watered-down version of the PATCH Act, which failed to pass in late 2022.As a result, on March 29, 2023, the FDA gained the legal authority to define and enforce medical device cybersecurity. So for today’s episode, we got THE leading minds in MedTech cybersecurity together to discuss what we need to do next. Chris Gates, Director of Product Security at Velentium, Chris Reed, Vice President of Product Security at Medtronic, and Ken Hoyme, CEO of Dark Star Consulting, join the podcast today to discuss the new guidelines, what the FDA can and can’t say about it, and what kinds of deficiencies you’ll be seeing in the future because of the new legislation.Some of the highlights

With the advent of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, where is risk management headed? How are they affected by the changes? Risk management is essential and becoming more so due to increased risk measures, and it’s important to understand what’s happening in the industry. To that end, today’s guest, Tyler Foxworthy, will share his expertise on the subject. Tyler Foxworthy was the Chief Data Scientist at Resultant, then the Chief Scientist at Demand Jump. Before founding his own company, he applied statistics and machine learning to help the medical device industry make informed decisions about changes to their devices. The company that he founded, Vertex was acquired by Greenlight Guru, where Tyler is now the Chief Scientist.Listen to the episode to hear Tyler explain more about data quality, the future of risk assessment, and how Bayesian statistics and analysis come into play.Some of the highlights of this episode include:When can we reach a point where we know the data is accurateThe future of r

What are the 4 buckets of information that MedTech professionals should consider when commercializing their device? Where is the line between perspectives when it comes to regulatory affairs professionals and regulatory affairs attorneys? Those are just a few of the items covered in today’s live discussion with Mark DuVal.Mark is the founder and president of Duval & Associates. He’s been in healthcare marketing and advertising for over 20 years and is a leading expert in medical device promotion. In today’s episode, you’ll learn his tips for creating “appropriately aggressive, yet compliant” ad campaigns. Learn from Mark’s expertise as he discusses the four buckets of knowledge for information sharing, the different perspectives between regulatory and legal, and how to think about the information provided with a medical device.Some of the highlights of this episode include:The difference in perspectives between a regulatory affairs professional and a regulatory affairs attorneyBest recommendations for reg

What makes a clinical investigation run smoothly? In today’s conversation, you’ll hear from Jon Bergsteinsson as we speak about electronic data capture for clinical investigations. Jon has a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and is the founder of SMART-TRIAL by Greenlight Guru, which helps MedTech companies close the gap between their devices and clinical data. He was the CTO of SMART-TRIAL from 2013 to 2017, and since then has been leading SMART-TRIAL’s clinical operations. His valuable insights come from 10 years of experience in the MedTech clinical space plus a strong technical background.Listen to today’s episode to hear what Jon has to say about using Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems in clinical investigations, the importance of data quality and what that really means, the tools available for clinical investigations, and educating leadership about clinical investigations.Some of the highlights of this episode include:The biggest challenges companies face during clinical investigationsWhat k

What would you think about dealing with complaints all day? Today’s guest has some ideas. Brittney McIver is a Medical Device Guru at Greenlight Guru where she helps guide companies through the various quality and regulatory requirements and challenges that are unique to MedTech companies and Medical Device Professionals - like QMS implementation. Brittney has a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science, a master’s degree in Bioengineering from Clemson University, and is an ISO 13485 Lead Auditor.Listen to the episode to learn about Brittney’s experience shadowing doctors and watching surgery, the part of her job that involves handling complaints, and how complaints are related to post-market surveillance.Some of the highlights of this episode include:What effect does shadowing doctors and seeing surgeries haveThe difficulties of a complaint handling role and how Brittney would structure the role in the companyRegulations around the complaint-handling processDifferent streams that come into play as far as compl

When bringing a medical device to the market, it’s important to be aware of the fatal 510(k) flaw. In today’s episode, Mike Drues joins the podcast to discuss the potential issues the 510(k) program presents and how companies are dealing with it.Mike holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, has served as an expert witness, and is one of the foremost regulatory minds, currently serving as the president of Vascular Sciences. Listen to today’s conversation to learn how to approach a 510(k) submission if your predicate had a recall, how to develop products that are safer and more effective, and the importance of tracing the genealogy of your predicate. Some of the highlights of this episode include:What happens when the predicate that you’d like to use for your 510(k) has undergone a Class 1 recallThe risk management element of using a predicate that’s undergone a Class 1 recallThe statistics about recall predicates used in 510(k)sHow the way the 510(k) is used has changed since it was first createdWhy the d

What’s it like to become a Medical Device Guru? In today’s episode, you’ll meet one of our newer Gurus, Brittani Smith, and find out more about her role and journey working through UDI implementation, EU MDR preparation, and finding her place in a MedTech company.Brittani is a Medical Device Guru at Greenlight Guru. Our Medical Device Gurus are part of what we call the Guru Edge here at Greenlight Guru. As a Medical Device Guru, Brittney helps guide companies through the various Quality and regulatory requirements and challenges that are unique to MedTech companies and Medical Device Professionals. Listen to this episode to hear Brittani talk about the challenges of working through UDI & EU MDR implementation, the resources that helped her learn more about regulatory and quality, and what a day in the life of a Guru entails. Some of the highlights of this episode include:Resources that Brittani uses everyday in regulatory and qualityHow to identify a company's power centers and knowledge in a co

How do human relationships impact supplier management in the medical device field? Today you’ll hear from Taylor Brown, a Medical Device Guru and Manager of Onboarding and Implementation for Greenlight Guru, and Maxime Rochon, the Director of Quality Assurance and Clinical Affairs for Puzzle Medical.In this episode you’ll hear about why building supplier relationships is so important and some of the best practices for those relationships. Listen to the episode to hear how Taylor and Maxime are thinking about whether and how human relationships make things easier, tips for new companies establishing beginning relationships, and social capital in relation to suppliers. Some of the highlights of this episode include:Recommendations for employing the human side of supply and managementWhether not knowing the people involved make transactions easierTips and tricks for establishing human relationships in businessBest practices tips for companies beginning relationships at the beginningIf it’s helpful to know t

What’s involved in a systematic literature review for the EU MDR, and how should companies handle those steps?  In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Co-Founder and Operating Partner of CiteMed, Ethan Drower, on the topic of Systematic Literature Reviews for EU MDR Clinical Evaluation Reporting.In today’s conversation, we covered topics like where information for the literature review comes from, the types of tools used to make evaluations, and more. Listen to the episode to hear what Ethan has to say about the process of performing a CER, the mistakes and pitfalls he sees people make in the process, and what kinds of actionable steps companies can take.Some of the highlights of this episode include:What clinical evaluation reporting isThe big change in EUMDRThe process of performing a CERWhere people go to get the data for a CERHow to tell if a search is comprehensive enoughWhat mistakes Ethan has seen people makingThe process once the deliverable is submittedHow much time it takes for evaluations to go

What do engineers need to understand about manufacturing? How can you apply that knowledge to design controls? On today’s episode, our guest Tom Rish covers the topic of Design Controls. Tom is the Director of Guru Services at Greenlight Guru and a Product Development Engineer in Orthopedics.Listen as we talk about the differences between user needs and design inputs and the pitfalls companies get into when building design controls. Tom also shares what he thinks people should understand about cross-functionality, why it sometimes makes sense to start from scratch, and using the design control process strategically.Some of the highlights of this episode include:Thinking in terms of manufacturingThings everyone ought to know about working cross-functionallyWhy starting from scratch may be betterWho needs to be looking at design controls and when they should be lookingThe difference between a design review and a stage reviewWhat Tom got to see that helped him understand how things workedWhat to look for on the

Why do the same types of problems show up again and again in FDA medical device inspections? In today’s episode, Mike Drues joins the podcast to talk about the FDA's Fiscal Year Report for 2022 Inspections and discusses the most common problems found during these inspections.Recurring guest Mike Drues is the President of Vascular Sciences where he works to educate the industry and offers help to bring medical devices to market in the most effective way possible. Mike is a medical device professional possessing regulatory expertise who understands the ins and outs of the regulation systems in the medical device industry and is passionate about helping others better understand it as well.Listen to the episode to learn more about the most common mistakes companies make that result in Form 483s, what companies can do to avoid these mistakes, and how you should be thinking about root cause analysis.Some of the highlights of this episode include:Common reasons why companies get in trouble during FDA inspectionsWhy

What’s the difference between design verification and validation, and why are these activities so important?Today’s guest is Niki Price. Niki is a Medical Device Guru with 15 years of experience in medical devices who worked in production, quality, product development, and project manager. Today she discusses questions like what is being tested by design verification and what is being tested by design validation.Listen to the episode to hear Niki discuss what’s involved in being a verification engineer, tests used for verification, and the biggest challenges she experiences in her role. Some of the highlights of this episode include:Niki’s background and experienceThe process involved in being a verification engineerThe Greenlight Guru differenceThe steps that a verification engineer has to go throughTests used for verificationDifficulties with the steps for verificationThe career path to design assurance professionalThe biggest challenges about this rolePitfalls of design verificationMemorable quotes fr

What are the challenges in managing compliance and the difference between compliance and quality management positions? You’ll learn more by listening to today’s guest.In today’s episode, we spoke with Maryann Mitchell on the topic of Compliance Management. Maryann Mitchell is a Solutions Engineer at Greenlight Guru and is part of what we call our Guru Edge. She has more than 15 years of experience in Medical Devices and has worked in a variety of quality and regulatory roles.Listen to the episode to learn what Maryann has to share about the cultural barriers between engineering and quality management, the challenges she experienced as a compliance manager, and what aspects of implementing an eQMS stand out for Maryann. Some of the highlights of this episode include:What the compliance manager role was like for Maryann and what it meant to herThe relationship with compliance across departmentsAuditing across sitesPains companies go through when looking for quality management systemsCultural barriers betwe