Device discovery and prototyping

Device discovery and design have always played such an integral part in the field of surgery. The complexities, impacts, and risks involved in bringing a new medical device to clinical practice can come in a very wide spectrum, but the broad concepts will be reviewed here. First, the inventor starts by identifying an unmet need. A collection of ideas for a solution to the unmet need is funneled toward conceptualization and proof of concepts, which are then composited into a prototype. Every step requires numerous iterations, but also constant forward thinking, careful planning, and conscientious resource acquisition and allocation. An important lesson from a historical perspective is that perseverance is key, whether it is when the actual technology still needs to be developed or whether it is needed in getting traction from others in buying into your new ideas, even when you have quality data and results.