FastWave Medical

07/03/2024

Get ready for another fellows-themed interview, this time with Dr. Geoffrey Barnes, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan specializing in cardiovascular and vascular medicine.

In this interview, Dr. Barnes candidly talks about his first year out of fellowship, how he eventually built a network of mentors, and insights he’s gleaned about the economics of healthcare.

When Dr. Barnes said that his favorite activity was watching Disney movies with his daughter, we tracked down Adassa, the voice of Delores in Encanto, to send him a shoutout. Not only did she thank Dr. Barnes on our behalf for this interview, but also sang ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ for his daughter. Don’t miss out this sweet moment in the video! 👇🏼

Here’s a teaser on the full conversation:

❓FastWave Medical: You’re well-published and have participated in a lot of medical research. What advice would you give to younger physicians interested in getting more involved with clinical trials?

💡Dr. Barnes: I recommend two things. First, make connections with faculty at your training center. Find out who’s leading projects that you can get involved in. Team up with someone who's doing something you're interested in or get them to support an idea you have.

Second, build your network both inside and outside your institution. Connect on social media, go to national society meetings, and get involved in committees. Those connections with other leaders, both peers and mentors, are critical for opening up opportunities to be part of a paper, get involved in a trial, or anything else. Make a real effort to build your network.

Check out the full interview with Dr. Barnes here: https://www.fastwavemedical.com/news/interview-geoffrey-barnes

06/25/2024

“As interventional cardiologists, we celebrate innovations, especially those for the heart and legs, that enable us to lead the battle against cardiovascular disease. We can confidently say more frequently now, ‘There’s something we can do for you.’”

Such a great quote to wrap up a really fun piece drafted by Drs. Amir Kaki and Art Lee, that was featured in USA TODAY 🗞️

In the article, Drs. Kaki and Lee discuss technology breakthroughs that are transforming heart health in both the heart and legs, including a call-out to what we’re working on at FastWave! 🫀

Here’s a link to the full story:

Today, interventional cardiologists tackle severe heart disease head-on through several innovations designed to open complex blockages in the heart and legs.

06/19/2024

We’re back with a new fellows-themed interview featuring Dr. Kellie Brown, Professor of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Chair of the Vascular Surgery Board, and a distinguished fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery.

In this interview, she shares her top-10 list of what she wished she knew earlier in her career and candidly speaks about how to bridge knowledge gaps, strategies for teaching in the OR, and more.

When Dr. Brown mentioned her favorite movie is The Sound of Music, which she loved watching with her late mom, we knew we had to make it special. So, we got Angela Cartwright, who plays Brigitta Von Trapp, to thank Dr. Brown with a cheerful "so long, farewell." Check it out below! 👇🏼

Here’s a teaser on the full conversation:

❓FastWave Medical: Successfully transitioning from research to educating other vascular surgeons requires a specific skill set. Any particular strategies that have contributed to your success in peer-to-peer training?

💡Dr. Brown: I’ve learned to talk a lot in the operating room about my decision-making process. Every step is a choice: where to clamp, patch or repair, stent or balloon, etc... I verbalize these options to explain my thought process. This encourages questions and helps trainees follow along. It also enabled them to understand that we don’t always know whether we’re doing the right thing while we’re doing it.

Check out the full interview with Dr. Brown here: https://www.fastwavemedical.com/news/interview-kellie-brown

06/19/2024

We are thrilled to announce the successful 30-day results from the first-in-human (FIH) study of our advanced peripheral intravascular lithotripsy (hashtag ) system! 🎉

This study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of FastWave’s IVL technology in treating patients with moderate to severe calcific disease in the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries.

👨🏽‍⚕️ 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝘀. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼-𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:
“The overall improvement in the patients treated in the FastWave FIH study is really encouraging and provides compelling evidence supporting the feasibility and safety of the FastWave IVL system for further evaluation in a larger patient population in the U.S.”
- Dr. Miguel Montero Baker, Medical Director, HOPE Vascular and Podiatry

“I am impressed by the performance of the FastWave peripheral IVL catheter – it’s both highly deliverable and easy to use. Achieving a 94% mean percent residual diameter stenosis reduction at the end of the procedure is equally impressive and the 30-day follow-up results reinforce the initial procedure’s success.”
- Venkatesh Ramaiah MD, FACS, Founder of Pulse Cardiovascular and Chief of Complex Vascular Services and Network Director of Vascular Services HonorHealth

🧑🏼‍💻 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗘𝗢:
"The procedural data from the initial intervention and the 30-day results reinforce our confidence in the FastWave IVL system's potential to pave the way for a peripheral pivotal trial in the U.S. On behalf of the rest of our team, I’d like to express our sincere gratitude to the Principal Investigators for their exceptional clinical work and collaboration with the FastWave team in sharing these 30-day data.”
- Scott Nelson, co-founder and CEO of FastWave Medical

📰 See the full release here: https://www.prweb.com/releases/fastwave-medical-announces-successful-30-day-results-from-first-in-human-study-of-advanced-peripheral-ivl-system-302156269.html

06/19/2024

For our next fellows-themed interviews, we bring you insights from Dr. Eric J. Keller, interventional radiologist at Stanford Health Care and founder of the Applied Ethics in IR working group. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Interventional Initiative.

In this interview, Dr. Keller talks about how your first year in practice feels like your second fellowship, how to engage in innovative research, the intricate relationship between the clinical and business aspects of healthcare, and more.

When Dr. Keller said his favorite movie was Full Metal Jacket, we were able to get Tim Colceri, who plays the door gunner in the movie, to thank Eric for his contribution to the education of medical residents and fellows. Tim shares a few of his iconic lines from the movie, which you should definitely check out below.👇🏼

Here’s a teaser on the full conversation:

❓FastWave Medical: So-called “turf wars” are inevitable in almost any workplace setting, including healthcare. How do you approach this challenge and what’s your advice for graduating residents and fellows?

💡Dr. Keller: I actually studied interspecialty turf wars for years as a graduate student. I would say that disciplines and territories in healthcare are naturally going to overlap, ebb, and flow. You maintain your “turf” not by claiming you’re entitled to it but by demonstrating that you are best equipped to be there. Often, the teams that “compete” most effectively are multidisciplinary. We all have different strengths and weaknesses in our training, so I think remaining humble about what you can learn from others and how you can collaborate is key. I once had an interviewee put it like this: competition in healthcare should be Bears vs. Vikings, not linemen vs. wide receivers or IRs vs. vascular surgeons.

Check out the full interview with Dr. Keller here: https://www.fastwavemedical.com/news/interview-eric-keller

06/19/2024

Thanks, Fatherly, for the coverage on hashtag and FastWave!

And we concur that IVL is indeed the cool kid on the block! 😎

👨🏽‍⚕️ Here are a few quotes by a few renowned physicians featured in the article:

“As patients age and present with complicating diagnoses like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, treating calcific artery disease has only become more prevalent and more challenging. With IVL, we have a powerful tool that can help us achieve the best possible outcomes and improve the quality of life for our patients.”

- Farouc Jaffer, MD, PhD, Director, Coronary Intervention at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“Existing IVL technology has unquestionably marked a significant leap forward in our ability to treat calcified arterial lesions, but it also has significant limitations, such as deliverability, pulse count, and balloon durability. FastWave’s innovative approach addresses these limitations head-on. I am genuinely excited to see the impact this technology will have on patient outcomes and the future of our practice.”

- Amir Kaki, MD, FACC, FSCAI, St. John’s Medical Center.

Here’s our CEO Scott Nelson’s thoughts:

“We're thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive reception to what we’re building and our team’s rapid progression from milestone to milestone. We’ll keep this momentum going to empower as many physicians as possible with advanced IVL technology.”

Check out the full piece 👇🏽

IVL is the new kid on the block.

06/19/2024

Another month, another patent! 🎉

We’re pumped to announce that FastWave was recently granted its fifth utility patent for our next-generation technology.

FastWave's advanced IVL platform, bolstered by this latest patent, addresses gaps in existing technology with the aim of improving ease of use and treatment efficiency.

👨🏼‍⚕️𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆:

“FastWave's IVL systems have been designed with physician input to deliver meaningful improvements for the management of calcific disease, which is one of the most difficult challenges we face in treating blood flow-limiting vascular blockages. I am excited to witness FastWave’s team making tremendous advancements with their IVL technology, supported by a growing IP portfolio.”

- Dr. Peter Schneider, Professor of Surgery, Division of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, University of California, San Francisco

🧑🏼‍💻 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗘𝗢 Scott Nelson:

“This issuance of FastWave’s fifth patent from the USPTO marks another milestone for our company and demonstrates clear progress with our unique IVL portfolio. The FastWave team highly values the collaboration with our medical advisors, translating real-world insights into compelling clinical solutions for the benefit of physicians and their patients.”

📰 See the full release here: https://www.prweb.com/releases/fastwave-medical-granted-fifth-utility-patent-reflecting-continuous-expansion-of-ivl-ip-portfolio-302147352.html

04/12/2024

The Medtech CEO (only) Forum will be going down in Boston on April 30th, and our CEO Scott Nelson, will be there with a pocket full of stories, including what drives the ‘fast’ in FastWave.

Huge thanks to Giovanni Lauricella and Lifeblood for supporting the startup ecosystem.

Use the QR code below or email Yulia Yurevich at yulia@lifebloodcapital.com to register.

04/12/2024

We were recently featured in VentureBeat, which highlighted the rapid progress the FastWave team has made since we started the company in 2021.

⚡Tl;dr: here are some key highlights:

🏥 Learn how our innovative technology has the potential to reshape treatment options for complex calcific disease.

📈 Explore the immense opportunities in the >$9 billion IVL market and why FastWave is well-positioned for the future.

🌱 See some of our recent milestones, including the FIH study of our peripheral system and the recent addition of some utility patents to our growing family of IP.

Check out the full article below:

Contributor Content In cardiovascular healthcare, innovation can mean the difference between life and death. FastWave Medical is at the forefront of this innovation, designing and developing novel intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) systems led by a fast-moving team dedicated to pioneering solutions for...

04/12/2024

Coming your way are some nuggets of wisdom from recent fellows-themed interviews with Drs. J Dawn Abbott, Jon George MD, MBA, Antonios Gasparis, and Ross Milner.

Here’s what these accomplished physicians wish they knew coming out of fellowship:

❓ Medical: Were there any business-of-healthcare concepts you wish you had a better grasp on?

💡Dr. Abbott: I accepted my first job with a one-page contract, which was basically: here's your salary and here's what's expected of you. But this isn’t the norm. You have to understand your value and how physician compensation works, even if you're not paid on an RVU system. Salaries vary, but so do benefits. For instance, being an educator has more intangible benefits rather than financial rewards. Look at each thing you're asked to do, or that you decide to do, and assign a value to it. Not necessarily a monetary value.

💡Dr. George: I always tell my fellows that one of the biggest gaps in medical training is an understanding of the business of healthcare on topics of billing, coding, and healthcare delivery.

💡 Dr. Gasparis: How to negotiate salary, ways to promote myself, and how to develop relationships with industry.

💡 Dr. Milner: I wish I had a deeper understanding of relative value units (RVU) and compensation models when I was entering practice.

For more insights from these incredible physicians, check out their full interviews in the comment section below.

04/12/2024

Here are some tried and true lessons that Scott Nelson summarized in a recent op-ed for MD+DI.

In this article, he explores how startups can move from idea to commercialization and what it takes to convince key stakeholders along the way.

Highlights from this op-ed include:

➡️ Shyam Natarajan, CEO of Avenda Health, stresses why it’s important to never stop talking to end users in order to figure out the scale of the need you’re trying to solve.

➡️ Cecile Brosset Dubois, CEO of Sonio, talks about customizing your pitch to resonate with the diverse interests and priorities of potential investors.

➡️ Kelly Roman, CEO of Fisher Wallace Laboratories, Inc., elaborates on the exploration of fundraising and market opportunities through pilot study programs, crowdfunding, and other unconventional routes.

➡️ Patricia Zilliox, former CEO of EYEVENSYS, emphasizes the criticality of developing treatments that are not only scientifically sound but patient-friendly, too.

➡️ Eugene Malinskiy, CEO of Lazurite, tells his story about working closely with physicians during the earliest development stages in order to land on a product that serves the needs, preferences, and workflow of all end-users.

For more actionable advice from these proven leaders, check out the full article here:

In the world of medtech, the journey from a groundbreaking idea to a marketable product is not always straightforward.

04/12/2024

Meet Dr. Marianne Brodmann, one of the first physicians to ever use and the head of clinical research of the Division of Angiology at Medizinische Universität Graz (Medical University of Graz, Austria).

In our recent fellows-themed interview, Dr. Brodmann shared her experiences with residency, tips on mentorship, how she first got involved in clinical research, and how to overcome insecurities when presenting on podium.

When she told us her guilty pleasure was watching ‘Pretty Woman’ on repeat, we got Aimie Atkinson, who portrayed the iconic role of Vivian Ward in the West End production of ‘Pretty Woman’, to surprise Dr. Brodmann.

Check out the video below for Aimie’s rendition of the all-time classic for Dr. Brodmann!

Here’s a teaser on the full conversation:

❓ Medical: Are there a few tips that you can share that have helped you enhance your ability to work in a multidisciplinary fashion?

💡Dr. Brodmann: Some people might disagree—a former boss told me that you always have to secure your ground, for example—but my approach is to be very open and collaborative. If we all open up our perspective a bit, I think we all gain a lot more in the end. We need to work together as vascular surgeons, radiologists, cardiologists, everyone. Yes, it means more work sometimes, but we won’t lose patients; we’ll earn more patients because we send them to each other. The result is better care for the patient.

Check out the full interview with Dr. Brodmann here: https://www.fastwavemedical.com/news/interview-marianne-brodmann