2022 Shirley and Ting-Wei Tang Lecture

From Concept to Market: Bringing a Medical Device to Life
Joseph Hidler '94
Founder and CEO of Aretech, LLC.

Aretech is a world leader in developing advanced rehabilitation technologies, with a focus on robotic body-weight support systems.

Back in 2004, an idea for a medical device was born. The concept was simple: Develop a system that would provide patients who had experienced a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological disorders the opportunity to practice walking safely and effectively. The execution of this ‘simple’ concept turned out to be anything but simple.

This year’s Tang Lecture will take you on a journey of the birth and evolution of a medical device that is now being used by thousands of patients across the world. Discussions of the engineering challenges, economic considerations, regulatory requirements, and business pitfalls will all be presented. A roadmap for aspiring medical device entrepreneurs will be outlined with the hope that those who also have ‘simple’ concepts will be successful.  

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 13th at 4:00pm in the Old Chapel.

As we recognize Disability Awareness Month, this topic may be of great interest to students and advocacy groups in support of disabled communities. The lecture is free and open to the public.