Dr. Shilajit Kundu was convinced there was a better way.
A urologic oncologist at Northwestern Medicine since 2010, Kundu describes the act of hand-sewing the bladder to the urethra to complete a prostatectomy as laborious and time consuming. Kundu envisioned an alternative solution capable of driving efficiency and reducing variability without impeding patient outcomes. Then, informed by his years of clinical experience, he began sketching his plans for a device to streamline the surgical process.
But for Kundu and many other providers and clinicians with enterprising ideas for medical devices and tools, the ambitious plans stop there – at a rudimentary drawing, at a thoughtful and grounded yet ultimately primitive description. Though experts at their medical craft, few possess the design expertise necessary to develop a prototype – and even fewer are prepared to navigate the immense challenges of ushering a medical invention to market. As a result, solutions capable of improving procedures or streamlining care in the operating room or clinic stall.
The Medical Device Studio gave me the resources to develop an idea based on my clinical experience. It’s an example of how, with time and support from the right team, we can take ideas into the clinical world and enact change that’s better for providers and patients.”
Shilajit D. Kundu, Chief of Urologic Oncology
The NM-Q Medical Device Studio, a new collaborative effort between Northwestern Medicine’s Mansueto Innovation Institute and Northwestern’s Querrey InQbation Lab, addresses this disheartening reality and unlocks fresh opportunities. The upstart initiative is helping Northwestern-based clinicians sharpen their inventions and pursue translation.
In summer 2023, 19 Northwestern-affiliated clinicians (physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers) submitted their invention ideas for the inaugural Medical Device Studio. Through a competitive process, four earned selection: Kundu’s urology device in addition to ideas from the fields of gynecology, otolaryngology, and interventional radiology. Each clinician’s project received $50,000 as well as the opportunity to work with an engineering project manager and an external engineering firm to produce a viable prototype.
For the studio’s first four projects, progress has been swift and promising. Continued iterations of Kundu’s device over the last year, in fact, have that technology positioned for testing in early 2025.
Along the way, Kundu worked with a Kellogg MBA team to create a business plan for his idea, evaluating everything from the invention’s potential market size to its value proposition for hospitals and systems. Clinicians also engaged in conversations with industry players, investors, and other medical professionals to further inform commercialization efforts.
After a spirited opening year, the NM-Q Studio charged into its second year and received 36 new project submissions. It also initiated a new Business Research Fellowship for medical students, residents, and fellows, leveraging their clinical insight in conducting market analyses.
The NM-Q Studio serves as a source of relevant, innovative ideas rooted in real-world medical challenges. It empowers imaginative clinicians like Kundu to leverage their firsthand experience and creativity to tackle inefficient processes and elevate patient care. And it provides strategic business development support to bolster the commercialization prospects of novel inventions.