There’s a certain excitement that comes with the development of a new product. It’s not just the realisation of something new, it’s the greater understanding that the something new may change the course of history. Over the years, I’ve seen these discoveries come in all shapes and sizes.
When I started as a sales representative for Cook Medical in 1987, I travelled the far stretches of the western United States with the latest innovations fresh out of production from Cook Urology. Over the years, the products I had with me and the procedures that put them to use continued to evolve. After spending several years in the field, I eventually came in-house with Cook and took on a role as a product manager where I witnessed firsthand the process of making an idea into a reality.
NCircle Nitinol Tipless Stone Extractor
The pioneering spirit of Bill Cook lives on in our engineering department as skilled individuals conceptualise and develop new innovations. Sometimes innovation means a modification to a device. Other times it means an entirely new device altogether. Many ideas also come from healthcare professionals. After all, it’s the skilled hands of the physicians that put these products to use. It’s only natural that a product has a physician’s fingerprints on it in development as well.
In my current role as a field product manager, I’m on the frontline of discovery, working with physicians to bring their ideas to life. These physician and industry collaborations have led to some of our greatest achievements—spanning our lineup of products from stents to stone extractors and everything in between.
One groundbreaking example came as a result of ideas shared by three physicians. We didn’t just take their idea and run with it. We went back and forth with the physicians to evaluate prototypes until we had what they were looking for. As a result of this collaboration, we introduced the NCircle® Nitinol Tipless Stone Extractor—the first tipless stone extractor and the first basket to feature nitinol wire construction.1
S~Curve Urethral Dilator Set
The S~Curve™ Urethral Dilator Set is another product of physician collaboration. There was a need for a set of dilators that would support the natural curvature of the male urethra. Anatomical in design, the S~Curve dilators are constructed of a material that helps maintain their shape during placement.
Do you have an idea for a product?
At Cook, we’re proud of our collaborative heritage, and we continue to reach out across medical specialties to establish new relationships. We’d love to hear from you, and we can help you protect your idea as it is developed and brought to life. Your local Cook Medical sales representative can help you get started with the idea submission process. You can also contact our business development team for more information.
Web:
innovation.cookmedical.com
Mail:
Director of Business Development
750 Daniels Way, P.O. Box 489
Bloomington, IN 47402-0489
For more information on the products listed in this post, please see their instructions for use.
NCircle Nitinol Tipless Stone Extractor
S~Curve Urethral Dilator Set
- Monga M, ed. Ureteroscopy: Indications, instrumentation & technique. New York: Humana Press; 2013:180.
Marv Andrews is currently a field product manager for Cook Medical’s Urology division. With over 30 years of urology industry experience, Marv spent time as a urology tech in the United States Navy and as a physician’s assistant in the United States Army before beginning his tenure at Cook.