Show Notes
The strongest MedTech innovation doesn't begin with technology in search of an application. It begins with a problem that matters enough to solve.
In this episode of the Women in MedTech podcast, Host Kayleen Brown talks with Melaine DiLuzio, Vice President of U.S. Sales for Enabling Technologies within Medtronic’s Cranial & Spinal Technologies (CST) unit, about purposeful innovation—and the responsibility to connect every technology investment to a meaningful clinical need. Melaine shares how more than two decades in MedTech sales, including her progression from associate sales representative to executive leadership, have shaped her approach to purpose, preparation, and building teams that can lead through change.
Melaine also unpacks how the CST division approaches enabling technologies: the connected tools for surgical planning, imaging, navigation, robotics, and execution that support cranial and spine procedures. She discusses the importance of designing technology around the realities of clinical workflow, adoption, and long-term utility—and why the most vital question innovators can ask remains: What problem are we solving with this technology?
Kayleen also welcomes Caryn Mills, Medical Device Sales Director at HID Global, about how Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) can support purposeful innovation throughout the medical device lifecycle. Caryn explains how RFID helps OEMs address challenges involving authentication, calibration, traceability, lifecycle management, workflow, and patient safety—and why teams should consider those needs early in the design process.
Join us October 22nd and in December to learn more about RFID in two upcoming MDO webinars. Register for free here: https://gateway.on24.com/wcc/experience/elitewtwhmedia/2927718/4415899/medical-design-outsourcing
Thank you to HID Global for supporting this episode of the DeviceTalks Women in MedTech podcast. To learn more about how HID Global works with medical device companies, visit: https://www.hidglobal.com/
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Chapters
- (00:00:00) - Intro: A Note From Kayleen
- (00:02:00) - In-Studio Guest Caryn Mills, HID Global
- (00:08:27) - Why RFID Must Be Considered Early in Device Design
- (00:14:35) - Start of Keynote Interview: Melaine DiLuzio, Medtronic CST
- (00:15:02) - Purpose in MedTech: The Patient Story That Stays With You
- (00:31:39) - Why Sales Experience Builds Stronger Leaders
- (00:37:43) - What Enabling Technologies Make Possible in Cranial & Spine Care
- (00:39:36) - Stealth AxIS: Connecting Planning, Navigation, Robotics & Data
- (00:44:16) - Making Technology Adoption Stick: Workflow, ROI & Partnership
- (00:48:07) - Enabling Technologies and the Move to ASCs
