💡 I wrote this 5 years ago about #prosthetics tech transfer. Rereading it now, I think the three lessons hold up extremely well:

Number 3 came up in a lab discussion recently & numbers 1-2 are more important than ever.

While I originally wrote this about prosthetics, these lessons apply more broadly to other wearable devices too, including #exoskeletons & #wearablerobotics.

🎯 3 Things I Wish I Knew About Tech Transfer Years Ago When I Started Doing Prosthetics Research

If I could go back to when I started grad school, here are three things I wish I knew about translating prosthetic innovations out of the lab & into society.

These insights are partially from my experience as a prosthetics researcher, device developer, & wearable tech entrepreneur. And they are partially from a roundtable discussion I co-led with MIT Professor Hugh Herr at the American Society of #Biomechanics conference in 2021.

1️⃣ Reimbursement is often the major obstacle, not FDA approval

FDA approval or clearance is critical for bringing many new medical devices to market. But that does not mean insurers will cover or pay for them.

Reimbursement is a whole separate mountain to climb, potentially involving coding, coverage & payment.

This makes it incredibly hard for medical device startups when there isn't already an existing reimbursement pathway.

2️⃣ Bionic (aka wearable robotic) tech often takes over ten years & tens of millions of dollars to commercialize

This timeframe & cost to commercialize are based on Prof. Herr's experience commercializing several bionic technologies [and also align with my own observations, experiences & conversations across the wearable and assistive tech fields].

Herr warned that successful tech transfer takes grit & perseverance. He tried to start his bionic ankle company twice, failed both times, & only succeeded on his third attempt.

3️⃣ Creating low-cost prototypes is NOT the same as creating low-cost solutions/products. Make sure you know the difference.

This is a common misconception in academia. I frequently see university stories (often involving 3D printing) touting low-cost prosthetic devices. But these are often more fiction, or wishful thinking, than factual.

If you're looking to create & commercialize low-cost solutions, then you need to understand that the cost to build a prototype has very little to do with the cost to manufacture, maintain, or service a product at scale.

☝🏽 That point is worth reading twice ☝🏽

The latter cost is what you need to understand. The former is mostly a distraction.

Keep innovating. Keep pushing the bounds of science. There are so many people with limb loss & other physical disabilities who could benefit from advances in prosthetics, exos & other wearable tech.

But go into R&D with your eyes open. The more we understand tech transfer in academia, the more we can do groundbreaking research that becomes accessible & impactful in society. 🚀