"Successful innovation is not just about focusing R&D effort on the high-value end of the market, but on seemingly simple components of devices that are critical for optimal outcomes," says Dr Clare Beddoes. The consultant at Cambridge Consultants said this to mark the release of How to improve the deliverability of PCI catheters a new study from the technology consulting business.
Cambridge Consultants talked to cardiologists, the people who have to deal with patients with dodgy hearts. It turns out that PCI stands for percutaneous coronary interventionalto unblock coronary arteries. procedures, something to do with poking tubes into people
Cardiologists in the USA alone carried out more than 5 million diagnostic and therapeutic interventional cardiology procedures in 2004, "creating a $5 billion market in corresponding product sales, which is projected to grow to $6.4 billion in the US by 2009".
What worries the medics? That the tubes they stuff into people will develop a kink. Hardly a brain taxing challenge of the first order.
Dr Beddoes's bottom line is that talking to the people at the sharp end, can deliver profitable returns. "With real clinician insight it is possible to identify hidden issues that impact medical device performance – and to innovate even well-established products so they deliver time- and cost-saving benefits for both doctor and patient."
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