A New Spin on Device R&D

An article in Fast Company this month revealed a smart initiative from Stanford, bringing access to affordable medical innovation through collaborative design. It’s an interesting R&D approach, which involves reverse-engineering expensive devices that would be cost-prohibitive for use in developing countries to make affordable alternatives—like bone drills, for example.

While the story’s angle is about offering better technology access in poor regions, there is a nugget of an idea that could benefit the most advanced areas of the world. Think about it, manufacturers/marketers in the U.S., for example, could use Stanford’s India Biodesign principles to compete with other players in their device verticals, offering more affordable alternatives that still give priority to outcomes and safety. It’s worth a read—especially through this different lens.