That unforgettable 'First Patient Moment'
A personal talk by Replasia co-founder Tim Van Cleynenbreugel on the moment medical hardware moves from idea to operating room, and innovation becomes responsibility.
After months and years of development, testing and refinement, there comes a point where the innovation enters reality.
For Tim Van Cleynenbreughel, founder of Replasia, that moment came with the first patient. Replasia works on 3D-printed, patient-specific implant technology for people with hip dysplasia, combining digital planning, anatomical insight and advanced manufacturing.
Tim watched his first implant enter a human body, live in the operating room. Standing there, watching the result of years of work become part of a human body, brought together excitement, pressure and responsibility in a way no pitch deck or prototype ever could.
What did this moment do with Tim? How does he look back on all the efforts it took? And how does he look forward to many more patients and innovation?