From Blind Biopsies to Precision: Reinventing Medical Imaging with Reza Khorasaninejad, Founder & CEO at LEADOPTIK

AI in medtech is most valuable when it supports better clinical decisions, not when it replaces clinicians. In this episode, Alexis Anderson speaks with Will Mauldin, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivanna Medical, live from DeviceTalks Boston. Will explains how Rivanna is bringing AI-enabled imaging to clinical settings where providers have traditionally relied on blind or manual procedures, beginning with epidural anesthesia guidance and expanding into fracture detection. He shares how the company’s handheld spine guidance technology helps clinicians visualize the epidural space, use AI as a confirmation tool, and build confidence through consistent outcomes. Will also discusses broader medtech trends around AI, automation, connected devices, and robotics, along with funding challenges for mid-stage companies and Rivanna’s upcoming FDA milestones. Tune in and learn how AI-enabled imaging can improve safety, reduce bottlenecks, and support clinicians in high-demand care environments. Resources Connect and follow Will Mauldin on LinkedIn. Follow Rivanna Medical on LinkedIn and explore their website.

Lung cancer biopsies are still being done blind more often than you’d think, leading to costly diagnostic errors. In this episode, Reza Khorasaninejad, Founder & CEO at LEADOPTIK, discusses how advances in photonics and metasurface engineering are enabling highly miniaturized imaging systems for minimally invasive procedures. These innovations aim to address a major challenge in lung cancer biopsies: a lack of imaging guidance that can lead to significant diagnostic errors. Early clinical pilots across multiple sites are demonstrating strong performance, with one hospital already converting into a paying customer. Looking ahead, the company is partnering with Stanford Medicine to develop AI-driven decision support tools to further improve diagnostic accuracy. Tune in to learn how next-generation imaging and AI are changing that reality and helping physicians hit the right target the first time! Resources: Connect with and follow Reza Khorasaninejad on LinkedIn.Follow LEADOPTIK on LinkedIn and explore their website!

Healthcare technology only matters when it makes care safer, more accessible, and easier to deliver at scale. In this episode, Adam McMullin, CEO of AvaSure, joins Saul to discuss how virtual care, ambient AI, and smart room platforms are transforming inpatient care. He explains how AvaSure creates a “cocoon of safety” around patients and care teams through capabilities such as fall prevention, violence reduction, and expanded access to specialty care. Adam emphasizes that lasting technology adoption depends on thoughtful clinical workflow design, nurse engagement, open architecture, and strong partner ecosystems. He also shares leadership lessons on values alignment and explains why health systems are increasingly scaling smart room technologies to address financial pressures, workforce shortages, and efficiency demands. Tune in and learn how proven technology, trusted partnerships, and aligned leadership can help health systems deliver safer, smarter care. Resources: Connect with and follow Adam McMullin on LinkedIn. Follow AvaSure on LinkedIn and explore their website!

MedTech innovation succeeds when bold ideas are matched with disciplined execution, strong teams, and a clear purpose. In this episode, James Corbett, transformational MedTech CEO and Board Advisor, joins Saul to share the leadership lessons, operating principles, and industry changes that have shaped his decades-long career. Drawing on experience leading companies including Boston Scientific, ev3, Alphatec Spine, CathWorks, and AVITA Medical, Jim explains why people and purpose are the foundation of lasting success in healthcare. He discusses the future of MedTech, including the creation of new clinical categories, the importance of operational excellence, and the growing role of AI in leadership and business transformation. Jim also shares why many organizations are underutilizing AI, how his AI command center captures decades of operating knowledge, and why great people remain the ultimate competitive advantage. Tune in and learn how purpose-driven leadership, operational discipline, and AI-enabled execution can help shape the next generation of MedTech innovation! Resources: Connect with and follow James Corbett on LinkedIn. Explore Jim Corbett AI!

The future of market access belongs to organizations that plan years in advance. In this episode, Steve Mather, Global Practice Lead of Strategy and Insight at Lumanity, explains why pharmaceutical companies must prepare now for major market access changes coming in Europe and beyond. He highlights that Joint Clinical Assessments for rare disease assets, beginning in 2028, will require earlier planning, stronger governance, and more integrated evidence-generation strategies. Steve also discusses the complexity created by varying country-specific care pathways, limited comparators, and the growing importance of real-world evidence in rare disease development. Across policy shifts like JCA, IRA, MFN, and new European pharmaceutical legislation, the central message is clear: organizations that anticipate earlier will be better positioned to succeed. Tune in to hear how the future of rare disease market access is being reshaped, and why companies that prepare earlier will have a major strategic advantage! Resources: Connect with and follow Steve Mather on LinkedIn. Follow Lumanity on LinkedIn and explore their website! Learn more about this series we're doing with Lumanity here:  https://lumanity.com/commercialization-podcasts/

AI is transforming medical robotics, but not in the ways many people expect. In this episode, KUKA Robotics USA’s Silke Wendt, Global Marketing Medical Robotics, and Corey Ryan, Director of Medical Robotics, discuss how labor shortages, increasing quality demands, and growing interest in AI are shaping the future of medical robotics. While AI is becoming more prevalent in areas such as simulation, collision detection, and path planning, they emphasize that regulatory requirements limit its role in autonomous clinical decision-making. They also highlight KUKA's focus on quality, strategic partnerships, global expansion, and the development of new robotic platforms to support a growing range of medical applications. Tune in to hear how KUKA is navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI, automation, and innovation in healthcare robotics! Resources: Connect with and follow Silke Wendt on LinkedIn. Connect with and follow Corey Ryan on LinkedIn. Follow KUKA Robotics USA on LinkedIn and explore their website!

A non-invasive Alzheimer’s therapy is moving closer to patients, and it could reshape how brain health is treated. In this episode, Christian Howell, CEO of Cognito Therapeutics, joins Saul live at DeviceTalks Boston to discuss how the company is advancing a novel Alzheimer’s therapy that uses sensory stimulation through light, sound, and touch. He shares insights from Cognito’s HOPE study, the largest non-pharmacologic clinical trial in neurodegenerative disease, involving 673 participants across 70 sites. Christian explains why a strong evidence strategy is essential not only for regulatory approval but also for reimbursement, clinical adoption, and patient access. He also reflects on leadership lessons centered on service, humility, humor, and the importance of aligning stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem to improve Alzheimer’s care. Tune in to hear how Christian Howell and Cognito Therapeutics are working to bring new hope, stronger evidence, and a more accessible path forward for Alzheimer’s patients and families! Resources: Connect with and follow Christian Howell on LinkedIn. Follow Cognito Therapeutics on LinkedIn and explore their website.

Health economics is not just about reimbursement. It is about proving how a technology reduces the total cost of care. In this episode, Betty Tsai, President of Cardiology Services International, explains why medtech companies must think beyond existing CPT or MS-DRG codes when shaping their commercialization strategies. Speaking with Saul at the MedTech Innovator event, she highlights how health economics reveals the true cost of a patient journey, from initial admission through readmissions and long-term care. Betty explores how value-based care and CMS performance metrics are reshaping hospital revenue and influencing adoption decisions. She also discusses alternative reimbursement pathways, such as the New Technology Add-on Payment, and emphasizes that companies demonstrating both clinical and economic value are more attractive to providers and investors. Tune in and learn why proving economic value may be one of the most important steps in driving medtech adoption. Resources: Connect with and follow Betty Tsai on LinkedIn.

What started as a one-year break from surgery became a global medtech movement. In this episode, Dr. Dylan Attard, CEO and Co-founder of MedTech World, shares how his journey from surgical training to entrepreneurship led to the creation of MedTech World, now a global platform hosting events across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. What began as a single event in Malta has evolved into a multi-region ecosystem connecting startups, investors, and healthcare leaders. He highlights the strategic expansion into Florida, a growing yet underrecognized medtech hub, and emphasizes the importance of creating spaces where companies can raise capital and enter new markets. Dr. Attard also reflects on the personal “why” behind his work, sharing how exposure to cardiac innovations, especially after losing his father, reinforces the mission to accelerate life-saving technologies. Tune in to hear how Dr. Dylan Attard scaled MedTech World across continents, and the personal story driving his mission to accelerate life-saving innovation! Resources: Connect with and follow Dr. Dylan Attard on LinkedIn. Follow MedTech World on LinkedIn and explore their website!

Most pharma launch frameworks don’t fail because they lack structure; they fail because they become rigid checklists that kill strategic thinking. In this episode, Lumanity’s Business Development Director, Jeff Hart, and Launch Excellence Principal, Kirsty Tait, talk about how pharmaceutical companies can scale launch excellence as pipelines grow and complexity increases. Kirsty and Jeff explain that rigid, one-size-fits-all frameworks lead to inefficiency, slow decisions, and misalignment across global and local teams. Instead, organizations need a standardized operating system with built-in flexibility to tailor strategy by asset and market. Ultimately, success depends not just on process, but on strong governance, a single source of truth, and a winning culture that drives execution. If your launch process feels slow, inconsistent, or overly complex, this conversation will help you rethink how to scale without losing speed or impact. Resources: Follow Lumanity on LinkedIn and explore their website! Connect with and follow Kirsty Tait on LinkedIn.  Connect with and follow Jeff Hart on LinkedIn.Take a look at the Launch Excellence Health Check here!  Learn more about this series we're doing with Lumanity here:  https://lumanity.com/commercialization-podcasts/