Medical Device Design Short-Courses

Vascular Sciences has been conducting seminars specifically geared toward medical device design, development and testing since 1996. These seminars have been requested by companies ranging in size from start-up to fortune 100 companies, the European Patent Office and the FDA Centers for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH).

What sets these seminars apart from all others is the approach: begin with the body in mind™. This unique view of medical device design is not typically found in the medical device industry nor in traditional academic settings.

Begin with the Body in Mind™

Begin with the body in mind™ is the common theme for all of Vascular Sciences' medical device seminars. In order to design safe and effective medical devices in a timely and efficient fashion, an understanding of how the body is designed to function and how it will likely respond to the introduction of a medical device is key.

Seminars typically follow the following format:

Overview of current market including market size, growth rates and numbers of procedures performed
Review of relevant anatomy and physiology relative to medical deice design and development
Detailed discussion of pathology (changes in anatomy) and pathophysiology (changes in physiology) due to disease or injury
Numerous case studies and procedural videos demonstrating the use of current medical devices followed by a discussion of what they do well and the identification of areas of improvement
Specific recommendations and guidelines on how to design safe and effective medical devices
Suggestions on how to access the efficacy of medical devices both in vitro and in vivo
Synopsis of regulatory requirements and issues of importance to the FDA
View into the future including new products under development, market trends and opportunities and where we go from here

At the end of the seminar, each participant will leave with practical, hands-on information immediately applicable to medical device design, development and testing.

Seminars are conducted in both public and in-house formats.

Public Seminars

Public seminars are open to anyone in the medical community regardless of affiliation. These seminars are typically held on predetermined dates in public venues such as hotel conference rooms. The agenda is fixed in advance although some adjustments may be possible to accommodate the needs and interests of the individual participants.

The number of participants attending public seminars is limited to about 15 - 20 people in order to facilitate group discussions and encourage individual participation.

In-House Seminars

In-house or customized seminars are limited to individuals from a single company or institution and their invited guests. These seminars are typically held in a private venue such as on-site within a company or in a hotel conference room. Custom seminars can be scheduled at the convenience of the sponsor. The agenda of each session can be tailored to best meet the needs of the sponsoring organization.

The number of participants attending an in-house seminar is left to the discretion of the sponsor. However, limiting the number of participants in each session tends to facilitate group discussions and encourage individual participation.

In-house seminars have several advantages over public seminars including:

No confidentiality issues since everyone is from the same company. This allows for more question and answers, group discussions, brainstorming, etc. A confidentiality agreement can be signed to allow detailed discussion of company-related products and issues.
Tailored content for your group or company (i.e., spending more time on topics of most relevance to you).
Lower cost per attendee since the seminar would in your facility (or nearby hotel meeting room) rather than requiring your employees to travel to the seminar. bullet Convenient scheduling allows you to choose the dates that best fit your schedule rather than having to conform to a predetermined schedule.
Limited group size could be as small as you like (could limit it just to R&D or could also include marketing, regulatory, etc.)

Seminar Manuals

Each participant receives a seminar manual consisting of over 300 pages of full-page pictures, recommendations and guidelines and a complete bibliography. Sample manual pages are available on-line, by sending an e-mail to seminars@vascularsci.com or by calling our seminar hotline at (508) 801-9599.

Seminar Format

Seminars usually last two to three days and can be presented using Power-Point slides or high-resolution color overheads. Case studies and product videos illustrating a variety of procedures and devices are presented in an interactive fashion. Ample time for question and answer, discussion and brainstorming is also included.

Testimonials

Read comments from previous seminar attendees.

Seminar Topics

Vascular Sciences offers a series of medical device design seminars to help companies design safe and effective medical devices in a wide range of clinical specialties. Current seminar offerings