Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador, interviews Rick Bente, MSc, MBA, BS, CEO of Seventh Sense Biosystems.
Ira Pastor Comments:
Getting blood drawn is not a fun activity for many. It can be scary for some (especially if you have children); it can be painful for others (especially where frequent blood draws are required). Studies show that a remarkable 20% of the population has some degree of fear of needles or injections, and 10% within that number suffer from what is known as Trypanophobia (a psychological term for people with an extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles), who on top of their anxiety, completely avoid necessary tests and treatment. In addition to this, it is estimated that needles injure healthcare workers more than 2 million times a year in accidents, with potentially dangerous and deadly outcomes. Drawing blood is likely the most common invasive medical procedure, with an estimated half a billion a year conducted in U.S. hospitals alone, and two to three times this number across all hospitals worldwide annually. On top of that, millions of patients have to prick their fingers daily, multiple times a day, and experience pain each time.
Seventh Sense Biosystems:
Seventh Sense Biosystems is a company that has designed and developed, the world's first push-button blood collection device, called TAP, which aims to make the process simple, convenient, and virtually painless. As $50 billion is spent annually on diagnostics, combined with the fact that consumers are demanding more "quality of life" centric products from the healthcare system, Seventh Sense Biosystems is aiming to create a new standard for blood collection that increases patient compliance with testing orders, leading to faster diagnoses and better outcomes. Seventh Sense Biosystems was actually founded by one of ideaXme's previous guests: chemical engineer, scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor extraodinaire, Dr. Robert Langer, from MIT.
Rick Bente:
Today, we are joined by Mr. Rick Bente, CEO of Seventh Sense Biosystems. Mr. Bente joined Seventh Sense Biosystems in 2019 bringing a strong background in the design, development, and commercialization of disruptive medical devices. With over 15 years of experience, and more than 50 granted US Patents in the wearable medical device space, he has held a range of leadership roles in R&D, Marketing, and Business Development. Mr. Bente most recently held the role of Vice President of Strategic Alliances in Business Development at Insulet Corporation, where he led strategic partnering and collaborations for the world's largest wearable insulin pump company. Before joining Insulet he spent six years at Unilife establishing and scaling the business of novel pre-filled wearable injectors for pharmaceutical customers and 8 years at Medtronic Diabetes designing, developing, and commercializing insulin pumps. Mr. Bente received a BS in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA, and an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management. On this episode we will hear from Mr. Bente about: His background - how he developed an interest in mechanical engineering and a bit of his path through the bio-medical device segment. The Seventh Sense Biosystems Story including it's founders, investors, mission, and goals. A market overview per "next generation" blood collection technologies with a focus on the TAP technology. A discussion of tele-health, remote diagnostics, and other opportunities related to the future of such tools� in the smart home / smart home care setting - with a focus on Covid-19. Future ideas / Potential "combinatorial" applications with other diagnostic tools and potential consumer applications, such as personalized nutrition and home based genetic analysis. A discussion of mentors and influencers over Rick's career.
This interview is in American English.
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Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio. Follow Ira Pastor on Twitter:@IraSamuelPastor
If you liked this interview, be sure to check out ourinterview with Dr. Robert Langer!
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