Prapela is a medical device company focused on improving newborn health. Their primary product is a specially designed mattress that uses gentle vibrations to regulate infant breathing, particularly for babies experiencing apnea of prematurity and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.

CEO & co-founder, John Konsin, joins this episode to share how many newborns, especially premature babies, experience breathing irregularities, including apnea and oxygen desaturation. Prapela's innovative mattress offers a non-invasive solution than can reduce the need for additional interventions while lowering costs for hospitals.

Prapela's market potential is significant, as it addresses a common and serious issue affecting newborn infants. Building on decades of research and recent exciting clinical evidence, the Prapela journey is definitely one to track, be sure to tune in so you can be informed and inspired.

Millions of men suffer from premature (early) ejaculation, the most common sexual disorder in men younger than 40 years, with 30-70% of males in the United States affected to some degree at one time or another. This can be a major relationship issue for both partners and is often viewed as a challenging matter to discuss. Coupled with this, existing treatments like sprays, creams, and antidepressants have side effects or are found to be not very effective.

Morari Medical’s CEO and Founder, Jeff Bennett, joins this episode to share how they are developing a wearable patch that uses neurostimulation to delay ejaculation. The patch is placed on the perineum, the area between the scrotum and the anus, and users can control the settings through an app to find what works best for them.

As Morari gears up for FDA approval and aims to be on the market in early 2025, Jeff discusses how he has transitioned from working at Boston Scientific to leading not just a startup, but a movement to make premature ejaculation no longer a taboo topic. From being spotlighted on Jimmy Kimmel, to winning numerous accolades, Jeff’s story will be sure to leave you informed and inspired.

For episode 60, and one of the most popular recordings to date, we re-release the very first episode of the show where Rajit Kamal, currently VP & General Manager of Medtronic's Surgical Robotics division, joined us to talk about early-stage innovation.

This is a must listen for any medtech entrepreneur as Rajit discusses how large medtech companies approach innovation and what they look for in early-stage startups.

Rajit shares insights from his years of experience in the industry, developing winning teams, and how to overcome challenges bringing new solutions to patients. Be sure to tune in so you can be informed and inspired.

Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades MD, CEO and co-founder of Lapsi Health, joins this episode to share insights into the company's newly launched product, Keikku—a revolutionary digital stethoscope designed to enhance the detection and monitoring of health conditions through advanced acoustic processing. Jhonatan discusses how Keikku is transforming traditional stethoscopes from simple listening devices into powerful data-driven tools that support medical diagnosis and patient monitoring.

Initially targeting general healthcare professionals, Keikku is a part of Lapsi's broader vision to revolutionize health tracking. The stethoscope allows healthcare professionals to stream real-time sound clips and communicate securely, enabling faster and more accurate medical insights. Future software updates will incorporate AI-driven analysis for heart murmur detection and respiratory issues like wheezing, positioning Keikku at the forefront of smart medical devices.

Throughout the discussion, Jhonatan emphasizes Lapsi Health's mission to make cutting-edge medtech more accessible and user-friendly for healthcare professionals and patients alike. With FDA clearance for Keikku already secured and additional approvals for AI features in the pipeline, the Lapsi team has a clear vision to position their hardware and software platform to help reshape how doctors and patients engage with medical technology. Listen in so you can be informed and inspired.

When you’re talking to one the founding fathers of pulse field ablation, you know you’re in for a real whirlwind of wisdom. Dr. Steven Mickelsen is a board-certified electrophysiologist who invented a pulsed electric field system and founded FARAPULSE in 2012. Ten years later, he is back at it again, with the founding of Field Medical Inc., as he looks to continue the crusade for superior cardiac ablation procedures.

This discussion delves deep into the anatomical anomalies that ablation looks to tackle. Steven masterfully guides through the depths of the heart’s chambers and the limitations of today’s techniques. Through reverse engineering the problem, Field Medical is bringing new possibilities to tackling the underserved space of ventricular arrhythmia ablation.

From the outset, Steven’s knowledge makes this a truly insightful summary of all things pulsed field ablation related, with a good sprinkling of entrepreneurial sagacity. Nearly every innovative startup hones in on a true unmet need to get started, and Field Medical’s blue ocean opportunity in VT makes this episode one that will be sure to leave you informed and inspired.

Kristin Nuckols, co-Founder & Chief Clinical Officer of Imago Rehab, joins this episode to discuss the challenges and opportunities in stroke rehabilitation. She highlights the increasing incidence of stroke and the devastating impact it can have on survivors and their families. She shares the challenges faced by healthcare providers in delivering effective post-stroke care, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Kristin provides insights into her extensive experience as an Occupational Therapist and time in the Harvard Biodesign program that has allowed her to build a unique understanding of how high-quality rehabilitation for stroke survivors can improve their physical, cognitive, and emotional outcomes. Despite the numerous benefits of rehab, the growing number of patients mean new flexible solutions are essential to ensure the right care is available.

Imago Rehab is developing innovative solutions to address these challenges, with a focus on making high-quality rehabilitation accessible to anyone recovering from a stroke. If you want to learn how soft robotics is being coupled with telemedicine to build a better future, then tune so you can be informed and inspired.

Millions of patients develop pressure injuries (bed sores) every year, often due to a lack of early detection. These wounds can lead to serious complications and even death. The current method of diagnosis relies on visual inspection by healthcare providers, which can be subjective and unreliable.

Sanna Gaspard, CEO & Founder of Rubitection, joins this episode to discuss how she is developing a low-cost, easy-to-use medical device that uses optics to measure skin redness and inflammation, providing objective data for early detection of pressure injuries. The device is accompanied by a mobile app that allows clinicians to track changes in the wound, receive care recommendations, and capture images.

Sanna shares insights around Rubitection’s functional prototype that has shown positive results in initial human testing. Access is a key word throughout the episode, and this includes how the company is utilizing Wefunder to crowdfund the capital needed to advance the technology and ensure that the community can access investing in the venture. Packed with impactful goals for patients, this story is sure to leave you informed and inspired.

Be sure to join us on September 25-26 at MEDevice Boston where you can hear from other innovators leading the charge to help improve patient lives (use the code IMPACT to get your free expo pass and 20% conference ticket discount at the checkout).

Augie Shanahan, CEO of Piccolo Medical, joins this episode to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field of central venous catheter placement. He highlights the limitations of current Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) technologies and the need for more accurate and reliable navigation methods.

Piccolo Medical is developing innovative solutions to address these challenges, including their proprietary ionic dilution technology that provides real-time blood flow visualization. This technology has the potential to improve the accuracy and safety of catheter placement, especially in patients with arrhythmias.

Augie shares insights into the company's journey, from its origins as a spin-out from the TheraNova incubator to its recent FDA clearance for the Easy Guide Connector. As an engineer turned CEO, Augie has plenty of great perspectives of the numerous challenges in successfully developing a novel medical, insights sure to leave you informed and inspired.

Be sure to join us on September 25-26 at MEDevice Boston where you can hear from other innovators leading the charge to help improve patient lives (use the code IMPACT to get your free expo pass and 20% conference ticket discount at the checkout).