THE INTERVIEW

Duncan Keeble Director of Product Development, Lombard Medical, Cardiovascular Devices Division

If I wasn’t talking to you right now, what would you be doing?

A typical day would involve working with my team of engineers to refine the innovative designs that they have produced, or reviewing test data from a design verification study. We also try to work closely with the users to ensure that our products meet their needs, so I may also meet up with a surgeon or radiologist.

How did you get into the medical device industry?

I was an engineer working in the nuclear industry while my girlfriend, now wife, was completing her Ph.D. in total knee replacements at Manchester University, UK. A friend in her department told me of a job vacancy designing orthopaedic products at Surgicraft (Redditch, UK). I applied for it, got the job and never looked back.

What is the best thing about your work?

Seeing a product make the journey from initial concept to become a device that really benefits patients. The most recent example of this is the Endorefix endovascular stapler, which started life in the development laboratory in 2004. I have recently returned from seeing the first commercial use of this product.

What do you think is the most important medical device invention ever?

I think minimally invasive surgery has been a great advance. I have worked with key hole surgery devices for orthopaedic and cardiovascular surgery and to see patients return to normal activity sometimes just hours after what would once have been major surgery is fantastic.

What should people give more attention to?

The patient’s needs should always be paramount. When making sometimes difficult design choices, I try to imagine standing next to the surgeon and patient during the first use of the device. That often helps you make the right decision.

What is the most exciting development on the horizon?

Smaller and more innovative minimally invasive surgery devices are being developed all the time. The Endorefix endovascular stapling device produced by Lombard Medical will enable vascular surgeons to provide extra fixation for aortic stent grafts through a skin puncture on the leg.

What do you want from your suppliers?

I like suppliers to work in partnership with us and become part of the team, bringing their specialist expertise to the project. It is essential that they understand the medical device business and the regulations that govern us.

Duncan Keeble, CEng BEng MIMechE, is Director of Product Development at Lombard Medical, Cardiovascular Devices Division, 4 Trident Park, Basil Hill Road, Didcot OX11 7HJ UK, tel. +44 1235 750 800, e-mail: duncan.keeble@lombardmedical.com, www.lombardmedical.com.