The third annual Pediatric Device Breakthrough Collaborative united individuals from a wide range of organizations around a shared goal of accelerating the development of medical devices for kids.
The April 13 event at the McNamara Alumni Center connected representatives from medical and technology companies, healthcare providers, academia, and government agencies. A pre-event survey revealed that most of the nearly 80 attendees self-identify as pediatric device innovators.
"Small market technologies, like pediatric medical devices, require collaborative approaches and innovative models to close the innovation gap,” says Gwenyth Fischer, MD, Assistant Professor, Clinical Advisor for the Medical Devices Center, and director of the Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (PDIC). “This event serves as a platform for innovators to make key connections and drive the development of technologies that can improve healthcare for kids.”
The event also included a video address from Senators Franken and Klobuchar as well as expert panels and speakers who shared funding and design strategies.
The Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (PDIC) hosted the event; supporting partners include CTSI’s Office of Discovery and Translation (ODAT), Children’s of Minnesota, the Medical Devices Center, and the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship.
The event is one of the many ways CTSI and PDIC are working together to support University researchers who are finding better medical devices and solutions to help children.
For example, the Pediatric Device Breakthrough Collaborative Funding Program provides seed funds and operational support for collaborations between University of Minnesota faculty members and outside entities so they can move pediatric medical device technologies forward. The April 13 event facilitated connections that may funnel into the funding program.
View a photo album of the event
Read about the 2016 Pediatric Device Breakthrough Collaborative event