BackTable Innovation BackTable

In this episode, host Dr. Bryan Hartley takes us on a deep dive into the origin story and mission of Pulmera, a medtech company dedicated to transforming the field of bronchoscopic lung cancer diagnosis by retrofitting existing fluoroscopy machines into cone beam CT-like scanners. Dr. Hartley is a vascular and interventional radiologist and co-founded Pulmera, alongside interventional pulmonologist Dr. Harmeet Bedi at Stanford.

Pulmera is developing a novel approach to enhance physicians’ ability to diagnose lung nodules accurately through innovative technology. Dr. Hartley shares insights into the challenges of existing diagnostic methods, the inspiration behind Pulmera, and the technology’s potential to combine the best of 3D imaging and endoscopy techniques. Dr. Hartley discusses the benefits for both patients and physicians, such as improved diagnostic yields and patient outcomes, and introduces an investment opportunity for the BackTable community to be part of this revolutionary project. The episode also explores the broader implications of this technology across various medical specialties beyond pulmonology.

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Introduction
02:18 - Personal Journey: From Vanderbilt to Stanford Biodesign
06:11 - Pulmera’s Mission: Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy in Lung Biopsies
15:02 - Introducing a Game-Changing Technology for Bronchoscopic Procedures
22:09 - Challenges and Breakthroughs in Portable CT Imaging
27:44 - Economic Impact of Enhanced Diagnostic Procedures
29:48 - Building a Team and Securing Funding for Innovation
31:30 - Understanding Investment Opportunities and Equity Financing

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RESOURCES

Dr. Bryan Hartley’s email:
bryan.hartley@pulmera.com

Dr. Bryan Hartley’s cell:
423-432-0612

Pulmera:
http://www.pulmera.com/

Stanford Biodesign Fellowship:
https://biodesign.stanford.edu/programs/fellowships/innovation-fellowships.html

BackTable Innovation Episode #1 - Needs Driven Innovation with Dr. Todd Brinton (Stanford BioDesign):
https://www.backtable.com/shows/innovation/podcasts/1/needs-driven-innovation

BackTable Innovation Episode #30 - Host Stories with Dr. Bryan Hartley and Dr. Eric Gantwerker (Stanford BioDesign):
https://www.backtable.com/shows/innovation/podcasts/30/host-stories

BackTable VI Episode #422 - Pathology 101: Solid Advice for Percutaneous Biopsies with Dr. Andrew Sholl:
https://www.backtable.com/shows/vi/podcasts/422/pathology-101-solid-advice-for-percutaneous-biopsies

In this episode, Dr. Matthew Lungren discusses the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, sharing insights into large language models, deep learning, and machine learning in improving patient care, enhancing clinical workflows, and optimizing medical research.

Dr. Lungren is a pediatric diagnostic and interventional radiologist, and the Chief Data Science Officer at Microsoft Health and Life Sciences. He advocates for a future where AI acts as a tool for healthcare professionals, allowing them to devote more time to patient care rather than administrative tasks. Additionally, the discussion explores concerns such as AI’s impact on employment and interactions with insurance companies, while presenting resources for healthcare professionals to engage with and learn about AI technologies actively.

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Introduction
03:00 - The Journey to AI Expertise: Dr. Lungren’s Story
05:48 - Decoding AI: From Basics to Large Language Models
13:07 - AI’s Impact on Healthcare and Beyond
15:57 - Exploring AI’s Potential in Content Creation and Clinical Efficiency
20:22 - The Future of AI in Healthcare: Opportunities and Challenges
25:27 - Leveraging AI for Diagnostic Radiology and Beyond
27:42 - The Transformative Potential of Generative AI in Healthcare
33:40 - Addressing Concerns: AI’s Role in Insurance and Patient Advocacy
36:41 - Empowering Healthcare Professionals with AI: Practical Applications and Future Outlook

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RESOURCES

Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Healthcare - Stanford University Coursera Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/fundamental-machine-learning-healthcare

Dr. Matt Lungren’s LinkedIn Learning Course on Generative AI:
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/an-introduction-to-how-generative-ai-will-transform-healthcare/introduction-to-generative-ai-in-healthcare

DeepLearning.AI Website (Professor Andrew Ng):
https://www.deeplearning.ai/

Fast.AI Website (Professor Jeremy Howard):
https://www.fast.ai/

Professor Jeremy Howard YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@howardjeremyp/featured

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMMS) Meeting:
https://www.himssconference.com/en/homepage.html

In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, host Dr. Aaron Fritts interviews guest Dr. Ramsey Al-Hakim about the inception and journey of Auxetics, a med-tech company innovating in the vein stent market. Dr. Al-Hakim is the co-founder of Auxetics and the Section Chief of the Division of Interventional Radiology at Scripps Hospital in San Diego, CA.

Dr. Al-Hakim covers the initial challenges of understanding the market and securing capital, the clinical significance of addressing stent-adjacent stenosis, and the process of developing a stent with a negative Poisson effect to counteract it. Dr. Al-Hakim highlights Auxetics' approach to combining cutting-edge interventional technologies with world-class imaging tools for enhanced procedural efficiency in venous interventions. The company’s progress through benchtop work, animal testing, and plans for first-in-human studies outside the U.S., aiming for commercialization within the next four to five years, is also outlined. Contributions from key figures in the vascular community and the role of mentorship and perseverance in navigating the complexities of medical device innovation are discussed as well.

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CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS

Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company
https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/

Reflow Medical
https://www.reflowmedical.com/

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Introduction
03:11 - The Market and Problem Solving
12:13 - Journey of Creating a Stent
22:28 - Birth of Auxetics
26:53 - Learning Process and Support from the University
29:16 - Building the Dream Team
33:01 - Starting a Company
36:42 - Challenges and Triumphs of Fundraising
37:44 - Current Status and Future Plans
45:32 - Importance of Community and Mentorship

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RESOURCES

Auxetics:
https://www.auxeticsinc.com

In-stent restenosis and stent compression following stenting for chronic iliofemoral venous obstruction:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34174500/

Venous Stenosis Animal Model Utilizing Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30717966/

The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture:
https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Middle-Finding-Through-Hardest/dp/0735218072

In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, host Dr. Aaron Fritts interviews guest Dr. John Qiao about exploration of physicians’ role in medical innovation, particularly among interventional radiologists.

Dr. Qiao shares insightful information about the origin of RadioClash and details his journey as an entrepreneur. Through this discussion, Dr. Qiao covers the challenges encountered during the startup phase, the invention of a single-probe electroporation device, and the future applications of this novel medical technology. The episode concludes with broader advice on how to manage the demands of professional work, entrepreneurship, and personal life.

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Introduction
02:39 - Dr. Qiao’s Journey into Medicine and Entrepreneurship
11:40 - Birth of Radioclash: A Unique Solution for Cancer Treatment
17:58 - Future of RadioClash: Targeting Metastatic Cancer
25:20 - Future of Electroporation Therapy
35:21 - Challenges of Building a Company
44:37 - Path to Market and Future Plans
47:28 - Balancing Clinical Practice and Entrepreneurship

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RESOURCES

RadioClash website:
https://www.radioclash.co/

News Article on Dr. John Qiao:
https://voyagehouston.com/interview/meet-john-qiao-m-d-of-radioclash-ltd-co/

Radiation Therapy as a Modality to Create Abscopal Effects: Current and Future Practices:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7086111/

The Abscopal Effect: A Reemerging Field of Interest:
https://ascopost.com/issues/november-25-2018/the-abscopal-effect-a-reemerging-field-of-interest/

BackTable VI Episode #402 - Immunotherapy in HCC: Evolving Treatment Paradigms:
https://www.backtable.com/shows/vi/podcasts/402/immunotherapy-in-hcc-evolving-treatment-paradigms

Tavo and Pembrolizumab in Patients With Stage III/​IV Melanoma Progressing on Either Pembrolizumab or Nivolumab Treatment (Keynote-695):
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03132675

PANFIRE-3 Trial: Assessing Safety and Efficacy of Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) + Nivolumab + CpG for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer:
https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04612530

Radiofrequency Ablation for the Palliative Treatment of Bone Metastases: Outcomes from the Multicenter OsteoCool Tumor Ablation Post-Market Study (OPuS One Study) in 100 Patients:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33129427/

The improvement of irreversible electroporation therapy using saline-irrigated electrodes: a theoretical study (Northwestern study):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21728392/

Irreversible electroporation reverses resistance to immune checkpoint blockade in pancreatic cancer:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08782-1

In this episode, Dr. Aaron Fritts interviews Dr. Patrick Neville, a vascular surgeon and entrepreneur. Dr. Neville shares his journey of identifying a clinical problem and developing a solution, which culminated in the innovation of Wire Watch, a tool designed for efficient wire management during endovascular cases.

Dr. Neville discusses the importance of believing in your solutions, the need for persistence, and the value of strategic partnerships in navigating the startup process. His partnership with the engineering firm BioTex led to the development of a simple product that is now used in cases by interventionalists across multiple specialties.

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Introduction
02:12 - Recognizing the Importance of Wire Management
06:42 - Partnership in Product Development
09:14 - Wire Watch in Action: User Experience
16:15 - Cost Savings and Clinical Adoption
22:44 - Mindset for Approaching Device Innovation

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RESOURCES

Wire Watch:
https://www.biotexmedical.com/wirewatch/

BioTex Medical:
https://www.biotexmedical.com/

In this episode of the Back Table Innovation Podcast, host Dr. Diana Velazquez-Pimentel, a radiologist and biomedical engineer, chats with Dr. Alim Mitha about the novel idea of biodegradable flow diverters and the future of interventional neuroradiology. Dr. Mitha is a cerebrovascular, endovascular, and skull base neurosurgeon and biomedical engineer at the University of Calgary.

During his neurosurgery residency, Dr. Mitha also completed a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. Afterwards, he pursued additional fellowships in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery, as well as endovascular neurosurgery. Since then, he has started a research lab focused on tissue engineering and biomedical device development. He explains the role of flow diverters and how they are used to guide blood flow away from the intracranial aneurysms.

While flow diverters have been applied to treatment of many different types of aneurysms, Dr. Mitha notes that these devices carry thrombogenic risks. During his training, he saw that it was not preferable to deploy a flow diverter in a young patient who would have to remain on antiplatelet therapy for the rest of their life. As a result, Dr. Mitha began to develop a polymer-based biodegradable flow diverter that could be absorbed by the body after the aneurysm had been occluded, in addition to being visible on non-invasive imaging. He explains the process of building a prototype, incorporating a company, joining a start-up incubator, and now performing first in-human-clinical trials.

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CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR

RADPAD® Radiation Protection
https://www.radpad.com/

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SHOW NOTES

00:00 Introduction
03:05 Understanding the Role of Flow Diverters
08:17 The Conception of a Biodegradable Flow Diverter
11:35 The Challenges and Successes in Prototyping
13:53 A Path Towards Commercialization
16:10 Considerations for Clinical Adoption
24:00 Developing Skills for Engineering and Entrepreneurship
27:29 First-In-Human Trials and Early Feedback
30:36 Innovating Within the University of Calgary

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RESOURCES

University of Calgary Creative Destruction Lab:
https://creativedestructionlab.com/locations/calgary/

The Brain Conferences:
https://www.fens.org/meetings/the-brain-conferences