The medical device design services and product development team at GCMI facilitates medical product development through all phases – from initial concept generation through transfer to production manufacturing. We guide and execute along a strategic pathway, focusing on both product excellence and regulatory compliance. Our team works with a variety of innovators: individual physicians, researchers and engineers, start-up companies and publicly traded industry leaders.

Our Medical Device Design Services & Product Development Process

Project success is dependent on careful consideration of several intersecting aspects: technological, clinical, commercial and legal. We follow a structured, phase-gated process that allows for a disciplined medical device design and product development approach. Our medical device design services and development process encourages an early focus on clear problem definition and de-risking a wide variety of potential solutions. By later phases, the funnel of medical device design options narrows significantly, converging on a final product that has been thoroughly shown to meet the customer needs and is ready for distribution.

Medical Device Innovation: A one-on-one with ATDC Lead Entrepreneur in Residence Frank Tighe and GCMI CEO Tiffany Wilson

Tiffany Wilson, GCMI CEO, and Frank Tighe, Lead Entrepreneur in Residence at ATDC, discussed the medical product development process for early stage innovators. Learn from their experiences by watching.

Feasibility

When an innovator has identified a medical problem, taking an efficient approach to identify the viability of potential solutions is key. Feasibility focuses on evaluating critical product elements early. 

At the completion of this phase, an innovator will have data-based support for the value in launching a full development program for the product including needed medical device design services.

Planning

In our experience, careful planning streamlines medical device design services needs and the product development process, lowering costs and providing greater market predictability. 

At the completion of this phase, the project team will have a clear vision for the path to generating the product. 

Design and Development

Iterations from medical device design services, refinement and evaluation allow for product evolution from the prototype stage to manufacturable assembly. 

At the completion of this phase, the project team will have the specifications and initial supporting test data for a functional product.

Verification

Thorough engineering evaluations of the product demonstrate whether the output of medical device design services and efforts have met all of the product requirements.

At the completion of this phase, a project team will have statistically significant evidence of the product’s functionality and safety.

Validation

Thorough system and user testing demonstrate whether the design has sufficiently addressed the customer’s clinical need.

At the completion of this phase, a project team will have documented evidence as to whether the product is usable and solves the stated clinical need.

Transfer to Production

In order to scale production to quantities needed for sale, manufacturing processes must be shown to repeatedly and reliably generate the commercialized product. For many medical products, regulatory approval must also be granted prior to market introduction.

At the completion of this phase, the product will be ready for routine production and sale.

Interested in learning more about GCMI's services? Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with our team by clicking the button below.

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Facilities: The Space and Tools Innovators Need for Medical Device Design and Development

GCMI has a 12,000 square foot medical device design and prototyping center where we help innovators, entrepreneurs and new-product teams bring their ideas from concept to reality. Within our space, we can go from a sketch to a design to a prototype quickly – sometimes in hours – allowing for faster iteration and speeding development.
Our Design and Development Facilities

Our Process Activities and Capabilities

  • Early Stage Product Strategy

    We call this “Phase 0.” During these early stages, we help guide products to the most efficient and effective pathway by using evidence-based decisions for product development.

  • Design History File Generation

    We have a staff that brings engineering skills, close attention to detail and a commitment to the development process. They have the insights to lead you down a more cost-efficient pathway to regulatory submission, manufacturing and commercialization.

  • Clinical Input and Review

    Our staff includes a Medical Affairs Liaison who provides and gathers initial voice of customer inputs at the earliest stages of a project, and adds guidance and perspective throughout the later stages.

  • Project Management

    Your success is our goal, so we treat your projects like our own. Our goal is to move through the development process in the right way. We guide our projects along a particular path because we know the risks.

  • Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering

    Our team is filled with biomedical and mechanical engineering talent, including professionals with biomedical and/or mechanical engineering degrees. We are well versed in the tools and methods to make a medical product.

Why Work with GCMI's Medical Device Design Services & Product Development Team?

Globally, medical product developers work in a highly regulated and uniquely constrained environment. The GCMI team works with you to realize your product while considering regulatory compliance, clinical practices, intellectual property, and healthcare economics. Our team contributes development expertise, clinical insights, medical device design skills, project management, and an ecosystem of experts to minimize risks and streamline the overall medical device design and development process.

Medical Device Design Resources

GCMI’S DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS PHASE 5: TRANSFER TO PRODUCTION

At the end of verification and validation, a medical product is ready for regulatory submission or marketing, depending on the product’s regulatory classification. The manufacturing transfer phase typically follows, ensuring that high quality products can be made at sufficient product volumes. Who do medtech innovators need to know about critical elements in the final phase of the design and development process?

Read more here.

MEDTECH IP LEGALESE 101: WHAT IS A PATENT LANDSCAPE REVIEW, WHAT IS A PATENT, WHAT IS FREEDOM TO OPERATE?

All types of innovators need to carefully protect their intellectual property (IP) from those who may infringe on their ideas and products, and themselves from inadvertently infringing on others’. Medtech innovation is no exception and the landscape is rife with pitfalls.

Smith, Gambrell and Russell’s Matthew Warenzak shares his insights on patent landscape reviews, patents and freedom to operate in the following Q&A.

Read more here.

WHAT IS A 510(K)? MEDTECH REGULATORY EXPERT GRACE POWERS ANSWERS SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COMMON, BUT TRICKY, REGULATORY SUBMISSION AND CLEARANCE FOR NEW MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

A significant number of innovative medical technologies fall into FDA’s Class II classification, the vast majority of which require an FDA 510(k) submission. What exactly is a 510(k)? What types of products fall into the Class II, 510(k) category?

Grace Powers, principal consultant with Powers Regulatory Consulting, has 20 years of industry experience in medical devices including research and development. GCMI leans on Grace’s regulatory expertise frequently and she graciously shared her insights on the FDA 510(k) clearance requirements in one of our recent blog posts. Read more here.

WHAT IS VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION IN MEDICAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT?

At the completion of the design phase, a product will have well-defined design inputs, plus fully described design features and manufacturing methods. Design verification and validation then takes this design output (product) and ensures that it meets all engineering requirements and user needs, respectively.

Have you made the right product? Have you made the product right? Read more about GCMI’s approach to medical device design verification and validation.

OUR PROCESS: WHAT IS THE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT PHASE AT GCMI?

Medtech innovation is an exciting, yet risky enterprise. The vast majority of venture capital and strategic investors now want to see early investment in de-risking medical innovations. There is simply too much potential for failure in the pathway to commercialization, plus financial risk related to market forces and competitive products.

Too many medtech development projects are unsuccessful because innovators discover major roadblocks too late in the process. Here are some of the top ways to give your medtech innovation a better chance for successful commercialization.

AFTERMATH: THREE TOP REASONS NEW MEDTECH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FAIL AND WAYS TO AVOID THEM.

Medtech innovation is an exciting, yet risky enterprise. The vast majority of venture capital and strategic investors now want to see early investment in de-risking medical innovations. There is simply too much potential for failure in the pathway to commercialization, plus financial risk related to market forces and competitive products.

Too many medtech development projects are unsuccessful because innovators discover major roadblocks too late in the process. Here are some of the top ways to give your medtech innovation a better chance for successful commercialization.

PPE Face Shield Design Updates 4.13.2020

We have completed another revision of our design files for those wishing to produce face shields for healthcare providers

  • There are 2 design options
  • Contact GCMI if you are interested in manufacturing, assembling, or kitting and packaging components
  • We are seeking manufacturers with quality system certifications

Click here to learn more and access the updated design files.

Are You Wasting Time and Money with Too Many Prototypes?

Prototyping is an exciting and important part of the medical product innovation process. Prototypes can give you something tangible to touch and feel – a physical representation of your ideas coming to life.

Because prototyping is such a fun and exciting part of the development lifecycle, it is very easy to burn time and money unnecessarily.

We offer some of the top items to consider when deciding if a prototype is needed.

Medical Design & Outsourcing: FDA issues FAQ on 3D-printed equipment against coronavirus

Earlier today Medical Design & Outsourcing published the following from the FDA regarding 3D printed equipment intended to supplement PPE needs created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read.

5 Things to Invest in Before Prototyping New Medical Devices

It’s crucial to maintain a capital efficient, yet flexible, process for medical device design services and product development process in order to have the greatest likelihood of arriving at your intended destination in the least amount of time.

“Best Practices for Transitioning from Design to Assembly in Medical Device Manufacturing.” - A recent feature from Assembly Magazine

Designing for manufacturability is a critical task. The effort to develop a component manufacturing process and an assembly process is just as critical. Making these two paths overlap as much as possible allows a development team time to improve on manufacturing methods prior to any pilot builds.

4 Key Compliance Issues for Medical Device Companies

From our colleagues at Greenlight Guru:

“The goal for most creators of new medical devices is to be able to get them to market as quickly as possible, right? So, what commonly puts roadblocks in the way?

Compliance issues. What are the common issues and what happens with these non-compliances?”

Greenlight Guru founder and VP of QA/QR shares his insights. We thank Greenlight Guru for including GCMI on its “Ulimate List of Medical Device Incubators and Accelerators”.

IEEE Completes Standards Family Intended to Provide Safe and Secure Medical Device Interoperability

IEEE 11073-20701™-2018 defines an architecture that binds the participant and communication model to the Web services data transport model defined in previous IEEE 11073™ standards.

PISCATAWAY, NJ, 14 Feb. 2019 – IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), today announced the publishing and availability of IEEE 11073-20701-2018 – IEEE Approved Draft Standard for Service-Oriented Medical Device Exchange Architecture & Protocol Binding.

Read more.

Featured Medical Device Design Services & Product Development Content

OUR PROCESS: WHAT IS THE DESIGN.& DEVELOPMENT PHASE AT GCMI?

At the completion of project planning, innovators have determined what work is required to take the technology from prototype to product. The Design and Development phase is all about the meat of the design work: digging in to complete the design tasks, and ensuring that the device is ready for manufacturing and customer use.

Read more about elements and goals of Phase 2 in our process: Design and Development.

MORE HEALTHCARE SHORTAGES LEAD TO ANOTHER POWERFUL GEORGIA TECH, GCMI COLLABORATION: REDEFINING HAND SANITIZER AND DONATING 7,000 GALLONS TO FIGHT COVID-19 VIA GT RESEARCH HORIZONS

Following closely on the heels of GCMI’s work with Georgia Tech and others to design, produce and deliver hundreds of thousands of PPE face shields to frontline health workers, Georgia Tech and GCMI have combined their resources to help solve another critical shortage in healthcare: hand sanitizer.

“Georgia Tech is about the power to convene. Companies and stakeholders are eager to come to the table here to make things happen,” said Dr. George White, Interim Vice President of Georgia Tech’s Office of Industry Collaboration.

Read more.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT PLANNING PROCESS FOR MEDTECH INNOVATION LOOK LIKE?

Project planning, also referred to as “Phase 1” at GCMI, follows directly after the feasibility phase, “Phase Zero.”  Phase 1 is the beginning of the formal product development process that complies with medical device regulatory requirements and with business strategy. This phase is all about determining the resources, the timing, and the work that’s required for product success.

Read more about our planning process: where it fits with product development and why it’s important.

COLLABORATION IN ACTION: HOW GEORGIA TECH FACULTY AND THE FLOWERS INVENTION STUDIO USED GCMI AND THE ATLANTA MEDTECH ECOSYSTEM TO BRING DESPERATELY NEEDED PPE TO FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS.

In mid-March 2020, the shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare providers responding to the COVID-19 outbreak had become a national emergency. By March 13 Christopher Saldana, Ph.D., associate professor of manufacturing at Georgia Tech and his mechanical engineering students and colleagues were already working on challenges and solutions for desperately needed protective personal equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers.

Read more about how this collaboration produced and delivered more than 250,000 PPE face shields by April 7.

DELTA FLIGHT PRODUCTS BEGINS MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF GCMI-DESIGNED PPE

From the Delta News Hub: April 2, 2020: Delta Flight Products, the airline’s wholly owned subsidiary, is collaborating with Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI), a non-profit affiliate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, to manufacture face shields to protect hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using materials and designs provided by GCMI, Delta Flight Products is leveraging its best-in-class manufacturing facilities to quickly deliver an initial order of 2,000 shields to aid workers in New York by Friday, and an additional 4,000 for Atlanta-area hospitals in the following days.

Read more from the Delta News Hub.

What Do You Get Out of GCMI's Phase Zero for Medical Device Design?

When an innovator has identified a medical problem, taking an efficient approach to minimize risk and identify the viability of potential solutions is key. Our Phase Zero focuses on evaluating critical product elements early, minimizing risk, cost and effort.

Key questions:

  • What is the clinical need or problem to be solved?
  • How will the product’s critical features address clinical need?
  • What is the product’s regulatory pathway?
  • Can the innovator’s intellectual property be protected?
  • Is there a market for the product?
  • Who are the competitors?

Answering these questions validates the project direction and anticipates your resource requirements, timeline and team needs. What, then, should medical technology innovators with a ‘napkin sketch’ or research idea expect to get out of GCMI’s Phase Zero service offering?

INITIAL DESIGNS FOR PROTOTYPING PPE FACE SHIELDS AVAILABLE

GCMI, in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Georgia Tech Pediatric Technology Center, has completed our first design files for those wishing to prototype Face Shields for healthcare providers, the first in what we hope will be a series of designs for badly needed PPE items.

Engaging a flexible third party medical product development firm to help you tackle an inflexible medical device design and development process

“GCMI is unique in that we were able to choose the services that we needed precisely at the time we needed them. The way GCMI engages with their customers is unlike any other firm.” – Lou Malice, nFant CEO

Shifting indications can accelerate a medical devices’ original intention

“We would be quite naive about what’s next if not for GCMI. It’s a bootcamp on medical technology commercialization for academic researchers.” – Darren Roblyer, Ph.D., Boston University

Recent Medical Device Design News