DeviceTalks Podcast Network

In this episode of the DeviceTalks Weekly podcast, Stephen From, the new CEO of Vicarious Surgical, explains why he jumped the chasm from biotech to lead surgical robotics company Vicarious Surgical. From brings years of experience bringing products to market and he lays out the plan for Vicarious’s single-incision robot to Host Tom Salemi.

Next, Salemi interviews Bill Frey, Regional Sales Engineer, Harmonic Drive, about the unique challenges of surgical robotics. For more information about Harmonic Drive, go to www.harmonicdrive.net.

But we’ll start off with Salemi and MassDevice Editor Chris Newmarker discussing this week’s Newmarker’s Newsmakers – Petal Surgical, Abbott, Stryker, and Medtronic.

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Chapters

(00:02:50) - Chris and Tom talk turkeys
(00:06:20) - Incisionless surgical robot developer Petal Surgical adds more funding, Fred Moll joins board
(00:09:50) - Abbott completes $20B offering for Exact Sciences buy
(00:12:02) - Stryker launches SmartHospital platform to elevate care delivery
(00:15:00) - Stryker reportedly hit with Iran-backed cyberattack
(00:16:41) - Medtronic makes neurovascular play with $550M Scientia Vascular buy
(00:18:55) - FOMO - Bill Frey, Regional Sales Engineer, Harmonic Drive
(00:30:05) - Keynote Conversation, Stephen From, CEO, Vicarious Surgical

In this episode of the DeviceTalks Weekly podcast, Jessica Mathieson, president of Stryker’s medical business, takes Host Tom Salemi to the frontlines of healthcare, where hospitals are seeking support for healthcare professionals. Mathieson will explain how the acquisitions of Vocera and Care AI have enabled Stryker to build a comprehensive communications and monitoring tool that can keep nurses safe while improving patient care.

Find Mathieson’s first visit to DeviceTalks here: https://www.stryker.com/us/en/about/news/2022/acute-care-s-mathieson-explains-how-vocera-fits-into-stryker-s-g.html

And as an added bonus, on Monday, March 9th, Stryker announced that it launched its new SmartHospital platform. Learn more here: https://www.massdevice.com/stryker-launches-smarthospital-platform-care-delivery/

In this week’s FOMO, Ignacio Pedrosa, Advanced Solutions Engineer at Novanta, talks with Kayleen Brown about the company’s work to make surgical robotic systems smaller, smarter and more capable. For more information, go to https://novanta.com.

In this week’s Newmarker’s Newsmakers, MassDevice Editor Chris Newmarker and Salemi talk about their favorite flavor of Girl Scout cookie. (Buy yours in the link below) before talking about the top stories of the week – Smith & Nephew, Science Corp., Boston Scientific, Medtronic and, in a bit of Meta-ness – an article about Jenny Barba’s appearance on the podcast two weeks ago!

Go here to buy cookies from Chris’s daughter! - https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/stella590572

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Enjoy the show? Follow DeviceTalks Weekly on all major podcast players + Follow us on YouTube.com/@DeviceTalks to ensure you never miss an episode.

Want access to the complete DeviceTalks Podcast Network (DTPN)? Follow us today at https://devicetalks.castos.com/subscribe 

Chapters

(00:05:42) - Smith+Nephew posts Q4 sales beat amid overall strategy shift
(00:07:39) - 3 tips for first-time medtech entrepreneurs from a venture capital pro
(00:09:51) - Science Corp. closes $230M Series C to support BCI tech
(00:13:27) - Boston Scientific wins expanded CE mark for Farapulse in persistent AFib
(00:17:01) - Medtronic, GE HealthCare expand strategic alliance

In this episode, Armor Medical Co-founder and CEO Kelsey Mayo shares her ultimate entrepreneurial journey. Mayo recognized early on that her career needed to make an impact, but the focus of her passion became clear after a frightening experience of her own. Today, she’s CEO of a startup building a wearable device that can serve as an early warning system for hemorrhaging. This could immediately protect the lives of women giving birth and ultimately replace guesswork with irrefutable data. Armor Medical won MedTech Innovator’s top award at AdvaMed in the fall.

This episode is sponsored by DeviceTalks Minnesota.

Speaking of MedTech Innovator, CEO Paul Grand joins Tom Salemi and Chris Newmarker to analyze this week’s top Newsmakers from MassDevice — DePuy Synthes, Medtronic, Pharaoh Neuro, Stryker, and Boston Scientific.

Grand also introduced MedTech Innovator’s Radar Forum:
https://medtechinnovator.org/radarforum2026/

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Enjoy the show? Follow DeviceTalks Weekly on all major podcast players + Follow us on YouTube.com/@DeviceTalks to ensure you never miss an episode.

Want access to the complete DeviceTalks Podcast Network (DTPN)? Follow us today at https://devicetalks.castos.com/subscribe

Chapters

(00:03:30) - MedTech Innovator Radar Forum
(00:12:06) - Pharaoh Neuro raises $20M, names former Medtronic exec as CEO
(00:15:05) - Medtronic MiniMed Diabetes unit prices IPO at up to $784M
(00:20:40) - Medtronic wins CE mark for next-gen GI Genius module, ColonPRO software
(00:22:50) - AHA, ACC issue guidelines for pulmonary embolism that affect Boston Scientific, Stryker
(00:24:56) - Johnson & Johnson MedTech reportedly eyes $20B deal to sell DePuy Synthes ortho unit
(00:34:13) - Keynote interview: Kelsey Mayo, Co-founder and CEO, Armor Medical

In this episode of DeviceTalks Weekly, Managing Editor Kayleen Brown takes the helm, leading a keynote interview with Jenny Barba, co-founder of Features Capital. Barba shares her path into venture capital, identifies winning strategies for start-ups, and highlights some of the more exciting companies in the Features Capital portfolio.

A special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, SHL Healthcare, for supporting DeviceTalks! Go to www.shl-healthcare.com for more information. As a special bonus, download SHL Healthcare's complimentary white paper highlighting the outcomes of using the combination of advanced sewing, welding, and electromechanical assembly here: https://www.devicetalks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SHL-Healthcare_Whitepaper_Integrated-Approach.pdf

Kayleen Brown also leads our FOMO interview with Nick West, MD, chief medical officer of Shockwave Medical, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech. They talk about the future calcium modification, intravascular lithotripsy, and the evolving treatment of vascular disease.

We’ll start things off with Host Tom Salemi and Chris Newmarker of MassDevice reviewing the newsmakers of the week - BioVentrix, Medical 21, VB Spine, Augmedics, Medtronic, Danaher, and Masimo.

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Enjoy the show? Follow DeviceTalks Weekly on all major podcast players + Follow us on YouTube.com/@DeviceTalks to ensure you never miss an episode.

Want access to the complete DeviceTalks Podcast Network (DTPN)? Follow us today at https://devicetalks.castos.com/subscribe

Chapters

(00:06:47) - #5 BioVentrix & Medical 21 IPOs
(00:10:24) - #4 VB Spine acquires Augmedics
(00:11:35) - #3 Medtronic Stealth Access robotic system
(00:13:14) - #2 Medtronic earnings & growth updates
(00:17:00) - #1 Danaher to acquire Masimo
(00:23:15) - FOMO Interview – Nick West, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Shockwave Medical, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech
(00:23:42) - Part 1 of our interview with Per Bjorkman, Chief Commercial Officer, SHL Healthcare
(00:41:31) - Keynote Interview, Jenny Barba, co-founder, Features Capital

In this episode of DeviceTalks Weekly, Host Tom Salemi speaks with MedTech veteran Darrin Uecker about a career shaped by some of the industry’s most notable innovations and acquisitions.

Uecker’s journey begins at Computer Motion, where he served as CTO through its historic acquisition by Intuitive Surgical. He recounts how that deal came together and traces the path that led him to senior leadership roles at multiple startups that ultimately achieved successful exits.

Today, Uecker is chief technology officer at Pulse Biosciences, a small publicly traded company developing a next generation of pulsed-field ablation technology. He discusses the unconventional steps Pulse has taken to build its business, reviews the company’s latest clinical data, and shares his perspective on the future of the fast-moving PFA market.

In our FOMO Interview, Ralph Kern, MD, chief medical officer of neuro startup Cognito Therapeutics, explains why he’s excited about technical advances in the field. He’s interviewed by Jim Hammerand, managing editor at Medical Design & Outsourcing magazine.

As always we start the episode with MassDevice Editor Chris Newmarker and his top 5 stories of the week….aka Newmarker’s Newsmakers.

Thank you for listening to DeviceTalks Weekly!

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Enjoy the show? Follow DeviceTalks Weekly on all major podcast players + Follow us on YouTube.com/@DeviceTalks to ensure you never miss an episode.

Want access to the complete DeviceTalks Podcast Network (DTPN)? Follow us today at https://devicetalks.castos.com/subscribe

Chapters

(00:04:15) - Karl Storz, Smith+Nephew partner on advanced surgical tech
(00:06:32) - NextSense debuts brain activity-sensing headphones to improve sleep
(00:11:17) - Medtronic stock gets a ratings boost on new products
(00:12:40) - Johnson & Johnson MedTech has encouraging Omnypulse results, more data backs Varipulse
(00:14:35) - Stryker says DOJ, SEC have closed bribery probes
(00:16:40) - FOMO Interview – Ralph Kern, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Cognito Therapeutics
(00:28:15) - Keynote Interview – Darrin Uecker, Chief Technology Officer, Pulse Biosciences
(00:48:05) - The Pulse Biosciences stor