Global Medical Device Manufacturer (Neurovascular)

Benchtop evaluation and animal studies for a new biodegradable neurovascular device were set to begin in just a few weeks. There was just one problem, though: the device prototype had yet to be completed. The original development partner was facing resource constraints and could no longer meet the client’s needs.

At this stage, the device developer could not adhere to the standard three- to five-week lead time typically required for one round of prototyping. The pressure was on—missing the animal study deadline would seriously jeopardize the project.

The company chose Secant Group, a leading innovator in the development and transformation of next-generation biomaterials, structures, and medical textile designs for restoration of the human body. The client was specifically drawn to Secant’s responsiveness and high level of engineering expertise.

After reviewing the product specifications, Secant’s engineering team determined that it would need more than one round of prototyping to meet the rigorous physical and mechanical properties of the device.

However, the typical prototyping process could take months, depending on the number of rounds needed. It became clear that the best way to drastically reduce time was to bring the client onsite. This enabled the team to engineer and troubleshoot the device on Secant’s textile braiding and production equipment while receiving real-time feedback from the client.

After fabricating several iterations of the device prototype, Secant Group finalized the design in a record time of two days. The accelerated prototyping process saved the client an estimated six months of development time and financial resources and ensured that the device entered animal studies on time.