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How a software engineer invented a breakthrough medical device

blogs.zdnet.com

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Re: How a software engineer invented a breakthrough medical device

#3
I presume that it works by allowing chemo doses to the tumor that would be fatal if administered globally (or whatever the word is for (in the patient's bloodstream)? I wonder if this would reduce the side effects of chemo in non-terminally ill patients.

Re: How a software engineer invented a breakthrough medical device

#5
truly amazing. seems seriously unfortunate that it takes the FDA 7 years to approve a device like this. I wonder how much testing they actually spend and how much time is wasted in bureaucratic BS. regardless, the story is amazing and the device seems incredible

Re: How a software engineer invented a breakthrough medical device

#6
Impressive, but also -- in retrospect -- kind of obvious. Why, of course you want to target destructive chemotherapy directly to tumors, via precise physical delivery.

I wonder if outdated assumptions about the limits of manufacturing prevented doctors/researchers/incumbent-companies from more actively pursuing this idea. It may take an outsider on a mission to remind a field of what's possible.

Re: How a software engineer invented a breakthrough medical device

#8
post #6

Impressive, but also -- in retrospect -- kind of obvious. Why, of course you want to target destructive chemotherapy directly to tumors, via precise physical delivery. I wonder if outdated assumptions about the limits of manufacturing prevented doctors/researchers/incumbent-companies from more actively pursuing this idea. It may take an outsider on a mission to remind a field of what's possible.

Every brilliant idea is obvious in hindsight. That is precisely what makes it brilliant. Nobody saw what was sitting in front of their noses, and then somebody did.

Re: How a software engineer invented a breakthrough medical device

#9
This article is inspiring but it fails to mention that no studies have shown that the device actually works. The FDA approval process for medical devices is very different then from pharmaceuticals; to oversimplify, efficacy does not need to be demonstrated, only safety (i.e. the device is not toxic). Thus the fact that the device is FDA approved doesn't really mean much (although it sounds great).

As with renewable energy, cancer treatment draws massive attention because it is such a big problem, and potential miracle solutions constantly make headlines.

However, the general audience does not have the background to place these announcements in context, and neither does the typical journalist. It is actually rather easy to come up with an entirely new approach that seems to work under certain conditions (algae make biofuels! solar panels in space! mice cancer cured!) but has no practical value. Having said that, good luck to this guy and I hope the device works well.

(I work in medical devices for cancer diagnosis)

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