Dani Rojas graduated from Florida International University with a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering. She is currently a project engineer at Flexan, where she is responsible for a complex, multi-product transfer to a new ISO-certified manufacturing facility in Mexico. Prior to her work at Flexan, Daniella was an instrumental part of a cross-functional pandemic team at Abbott Laboratories, working to increase production of 45 million COVID-19 tests to 75 million. She began her career as a manufacturing engineer at Beckman Coulter, and also worked in the R&D department at Beckman Coulter.
As a seasoned professional in the industry, how do you envision the future of medtech? What emerging technologies or trends do you believe will have the most significant impact?
We should anticipate advancements in technologies for molecular devices, implantables, and robotics, as these areas are converging with each other and with predictive analytics, remote monitoring, and artificial intelligence. The ways we are using sensors now, in implantables and wearables, as well as the advancements we are seeing in silicone and thermoplastic materials, will continue to drive progress for many years to come.
Flexan works with many of the world’s leading medical device companies to manufacture extremely innovative devices that save lives like sensor-enabled catheters, and hydrocephalus shunt systems. We are going to see many breakthroughs in these areas in the coming years, in addition to continued breakthroughs in medical device design and materials. Very exciting.
Another innovative area, and it’s one that I fell in love with at FIU at the Adaptive Neural Systems (ANS) Lab, was the work we were doing on prosthetic limbs to restore sensation in limbs again. The ANS lab is pioneering neural-enabled prosthetic hand (NEPH) investigation device system, which restores a sense of touch/grasp force and hand opening by stimulating sensory nerve fibers in the residual limb with fine wires implanted inside nerves, allowing amputees to “feel” again. We are seeing significant advancements in this area.
From your experience, what are some of the key challenges that medtech engineers are likely to face in the coming years? How can professionals in the industry prepare for and navigate these challenges effectively?
One of the biggest challenges our medtech customers are facing right now is the decision to manufacture in-house or to outsource, and it is never a decision anyone takes lightly. Many medtech companies are ultimately deciding, particularly after the pandemic, that’s it’s beneficial to outsource with a CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) because it mitigates risk and streamlines supply chain issues. At Flexan, we’ve got several locations globally, including China and Mexico, and we can scale up or down as needed, according to market demands. OEMs appreciate this, because in a shifting economy, manufacturing in-house can be very complex and costly. We help them decide what will work best for their needs.
In your opinion, what areas or applications within medtech have the greatest potential for growth and innovation? Why do you consider them promising?
Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) moldings, soft robotics, and implantable sensors are particularly interesting to all of us at Flexan right now. These materials work well in the body long term, eliminating immediate need for surgical removal, so they are very interesting to medical device manufacturers who have new products that they want to make. As custom medical device manufacturers, we specialize in these materials and types of devices, and our clients rely on our expertise to help them in the early stages of product design and then we help them deliver leading edge products that advance medicine.
Another area would be components that go into insulin devices; there is still a lot of innovation that can be done there.
As technology continues to advance rapidly, how do you think medtech engineers can stay ahead of the curve and ensure they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge?
Design for manufacturing (DFM) is an approach we appreciate immensely at Flexan. We have a proprietary process we call “Flexacution” that helps our customers design products and components with manufacturing efficiency, quality, and productivity in mind.
The prevailing trend right now is for medical device companies to focus on their core competencies, and outsource manufacturing operations to contract manufacturers like Flexan. We have 70 years of experience, and we have the equipment, the expertise, and the facilities necessary to scale production up or down quickly, in response to market demand. With four global locations, including China and Mexico, we have well-established procedures, a highly skilled labor force, and an existing infrastructure that aids our clients in accelerating their entry into the market. Additionally, we facilitate the seamless transfer of existing product lines to enhance cost-efficiency and operational effectiveness.
How do you think diversity and inclusion can contribute to the advancement of medtech engineering? How do you foster a culture of innovation within your team or organizationHow do you think diversity and inclusion can contribute to the advancement of medtech engineering? How do you foster a culture of innovation within your team or organization?
As a female in a male-dominated profession, I value diverse perspectives, and it’s empowering when there are more women in engineering, and women of color. When teams are diverse, it opens up a door for collaboration and differences of opinion and that fosters innovation.
There is no lack of diverse talent at med tech companies; we are here and we can be found at manager and individual contributor levels; now it’s time to nurture this talent so they can to step up into higher level roles. What I love about Flexan is that we are working to foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and diversity because we know it is not only the right thing to do, it is good for business and the bottom line.