"The Creative Stories Behind These Medical Breakthroughs… May Disappoint You" By The Creativity Post

24/3/2015 TheCreativeStoriesBehindTheseMedicalBreakthroughsMayDisappointYou|TheCreativityPost

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The Creative Stories Behind TheseMedical Breakthroughs MayDisappoint YouByJustinBrady|Feb03,2015

SynopsisSeekingamagicbulletforyournextcreativebreakthrough?Thesethreerockstarinnovatorsshowusthatyouareinforsomedisappointment.

Theblindcannowsee,theparalyzedcanregainmovement,andamputeescanwalk.ItmaysoundlikeStarTrekfantasy,butthesebreakthroughsinmedicalscienceexisttodaybecauseindividualshadavisiontochangetheirworld,theirindustry,andthecourseofpeopleslivesforever.YoumayhavereadabouttheArgusII,NeurobridgeandtheBionicAnklebutjusthowdidthesebrilliantindividualsdoit?Whatcreativestrategies,tipsandtrickscantheyimpartonusmortalstoexperienceamerecrumbfromtheirsmorgasbordofknowledge?Whilethereareimportantlessonstolearn,forthosewantingaquickcreativefix,youmightbeabitdisappointed.Butletmeexplain.

Likemanyotherinnovations,theArgusIIisaculminationofyearsofhardworkandresearch.Theideaitselfisntnew.Physiciansandscientistshavebeentryingtofigureouthowtoreturnsighttotheblindsincethebeginning.ForRobertGreenberg,theCEOofSecondSight,itallstartedduringhistimeasagraduatestudentatJohnsHopkinsUniversityinthe90s.

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Justin BradyJustinBradyisawriter&speakerfocusedoncultivatingcreativity.HisworkhasappearedinTheWashingtonPost,WashingtonPostInnovations,TheWallStreetJournal,Forbesandothers....

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GreenbergwitnessedanexperimentalretinasurgeryonapatientblindfromretinitispigmentosawhereDoctorsplacedasmallwire,touchingthepatientsretina.Applyinganelectriccharge,causedthepatienttoreactinformingtheresearchershecouldseeaspotoflight.Asdoctorsrepeatedtheprocesswithasecondwirethepatientcouldsuddenlyseetwospotsoflight.Curious,Greenbergstartedtoconducthisownresearchandlaterpresenthisfindings.

ThesepresentationseventuallycaughttheattentionofAlfredMann,whosoughtoutGreenberg,eventuallyhiringhim.Mannwasaserialmedicaldeviceentrepreneurandwithhissupportandfunding,Greenbergfinallylaunchedthebioniceyeproject.Byscalingupearlierexperiments,thethoughtwastocreateagiantgridoflightspotspackingenoughelectrodesintoanarrayattachedtotheretina,effectivelycreatingpixelatedimagesthepatientcould"see".Byconnectingthisarraytosoftwarethattranslatedimagesitreceivedfromacamera,Greenbergwasabletocreateankindofrealtimevideofeedforthepatient.Theconceptwasabreakthrough,butnooneknewhowhardertheirjourneywasabouttoget.

Whilethesciencewasproven,theirtestingindicatedtheretinawouldbemuchtoofragile,likelytearingiftheyweretoimplantthisintoaperson.Inaddition,theyhadtodevelopahermeticelectronicspackagesmallenoughtofitinahumaneyeaboutthesizeofanaspirin.Sincetraditionalweldingtechniquesneededtoaccomplishthiswouldyieldsomethingthesizeofahockeypuck,theyweresunk.Theconceptwasabreakthrough,butexecutionlookedimpossible.

Alreadyputtinginuncountablehoursandfunding,itlookedbleak.ThisiswhereGreenbergbelievesthisiswheremostcompaniescreativeeffortsdryup.Withinvestorsstartingtoseeamoneypit,itsatemptingdecisiontopullfunding.Instead,Mannsresponsetohisteamsshortcomingiswhatmadethedifference.

Despitethebadnews,Mannvoicedhisunwaveringsupport,encouragingthemtopushforward,buthedidntstopthere.Hemadesuretheyhadthesupportandresourcesneededtocontinue,notonceinforminganyoneofintentionstoshuttheprojectdown.Oncehecommittedtodothis,heneverlookedback.Therewasneveranydoubtthatwewouldmoveforward.Thatreallyfreeduptheteamtofocusforwardaswell.CouldMann'sreactionhaveelicitedacreativeburst?

ChadBoutoncanrelatetothedifficultprocessofinnovation.Mr.BoutonworksforBattelle,averycreativeresearchanddevelopmentcompanybasedoutofColumbus,Ohioknownforworkingonprojectsfromlaundrycapsulestopowergridcontrolsystems.

HewasateamleaderontheNeurobridgeprojectdoneincollaborationwithOhioStateUniversity.Theprojectsgoalwastorestorefunctiontoparalyzedlimbsbybypassingdamagedareasinthebody,allowingthebraintoregaincontrolofmotionandreflexes.

ThechallengewithNeuorbridgewasntsomuchdecodingthebrain,butreintroducingthatinformationtoactualmovementinthebody.Foratleast9years,wehavebeenabletodecodethebrainBoutonsaid.Indeed,patientshavebeenabletocontrolobjectssuchaselectronicwheelchairsusingonlytheirthoughts.

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Bywayofsophisticatedsoftware,algorithmsandaspeciallydesignedsleevethepatientwouldwear,BattelleandOSUsoughttoconvertthosethoughtsintoimpulsesthatthemuscleswouldreactto.WehadnoideawhatwouldhappenwhenwetriedtoconnectthoughtswithmusclemomentssaidBouton.Hehadnoideahowrighthewas.

Thechallengeprovedtobefarmorefailureriddenthantheyfirstthought.Itturnsoutbrainactivitywouldchangedynamicallyduringtheprocess,meaningasimplemovementlikegrabbingaspoonwouldworkbuttryingtomovethatspoonafoottotheleftwouldresultindroppingthespoonwithnoexplanation.Thismysteriouschangingbrainactivitywasstoppingtheprojectcold.

ThebigbreakthroughhappenedwhenBoutonwasntevenpresent,takingsomemuchneededvacationtime.HewasexchangingemailswithNickAnnetta,anelectricalengineerontheteam,butalsoanewmembernotapartoftheoriginalteam.ThatmemberwasIanBurkhart,their23yearoldpatientfromOhio.

Burkhartstartedtomakesuggestionsonswitchinguphisthoughtsrelatedtomovementsandindoingsorevealedfarmoredetailabouthowthebrainchangedduringtheprocess.Theinformationbroughtanewclaritytothechallengeandapossiblesolutionfromoldercancerresearch.Itturnedout,tweakingtheoldersoftwarewasabletocastabiggernet,capturingmorebrainactivitythanbefore.WedidntevenanticipateIanparticipatingintheprocess,butthatcontributedtosomeofourbiggestbreakthroughsBoutonsaid.

JustlikeGreenbergandBouton,JayMartin,founderofMartinBionicshadsimilarstruggles.DuringhiscareerinprosthesisatScottSabolichProsthetics,Martinsawthatthecurrentsolutionsforamputeeswerenotsufficientlyprovidingthemobilityandfreedomofmovementofanactuallimb.Artificialanklesexisted,butthepatienthadtoadaptfortheankleinsteadoftheankleadaptingtothepatient,thiswastiringandexhaustingforpatients.Thebestsolutionwastomakeanartificialanklethatrespondedinrealtime,justliketheiranatomicankle.Unfortunately,thetechnologydidn'texist.

Withonlyanapkinsketchtoguidehim,helearnedtheropesonbusiness,finallyreceivingagranttohirethebestinthebusiness.Fromartificialintelligenceexperts,PhDsandelectricalengineers,thetopexpertsintheirfieldsaiditcouldntbedone.Thetechnologyissimplynotavailableforustocompletethisprojecttheytoldhim.Followinghishunch,hedismissedtheteamandrecruitedanew(andunlikely)team:Internswithoutanyroboticsorprosthesisknowledge.Soonaftertheystartedworkingontheproject,theybegantofigureoutexactlywhytheindustryexpertshadtoldhimwhyhewasworkingonanimpossibleproject.

Martinsteammadesurprisingprogressdespitetheirimpossibleproject,buttheirabilitytobalancethebionicankleandanatomicankleinrealtimewasprovingnearimpossible.Thebionicanklewasonly99%accurateinitscalculationsandadjustments.99%accuracymayworkinsomescenarios,butwhensomeoneisfalling1stepoutofevery100taken,itsnotmuchofasolution.Thebionicankleneededtomatchmotionfromtheanatomicopposinglimbperfectly.Insteadofstoppingtheproject,Martinkeptpushing,andhisteamofinternshadnooptionbuttotrusttheirleadersassumptionsthatthisproject,couldinfact,besuccessful.

http://www.scottsabolich.com/http://www.jay-martin.me/http://www.martinbionics.com/



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Thedecisionwasmadetogobacktothedrawingboard,toestablishabaseline.Theybegantosimplifythesoftwareandthevariablesitwasaccountingfortoonlythemostbasicfunctions.Astheybegantestingtheirbaseline,theycametoastunningrealization:Theultrasimplifiedversionoftheanklewassuddenlyworkingflawlessly.Theprocesseswastoobulkyandsimplificationwasthekey.Wewerestartingwith2.0,butneededtogobackto1.0,whichendedupworkingmuchbetter.SaidMartin.Martinandhisteamhadfoundsuccessbycompleteaccident.

Allthreeinnovatorshadamazingcreativesuccessintheirprojects,andweshouldbeeagertolearnfromtheirleadership,butwhatabouttheirdecisionsenabledsuchcreativeandinnovativeresults?IsthesecrettothrowmoremoneyatproblemslikeManndid?PerhapswearesupposedtosolicitadvicefromseeminglyunqualifiedpeoplelikeBouton?PerhapsweshouldhireinexperiencedinternslikeMartindid?Ofcoursenot!

Forthosewantingamagicbullettocreatetheirnextbigidea,itseemsthecreativestrategiestobelearnedfromthesehugemedicalbreakthroughsisremarkablydisappointing,butforthosewillingtochangetheirownheartandmind,thereissomethinggeniusabouttheirapproachyoumayhavemissed.

Thegeniusapproachistrust.MannsunwaveringtrustwaskeyinunlockingGreenbergscreativepotentialwhencreatingtheArgus.Bouton&AnnettastrustintheirpatientledthemtorestoremovementinhisparalyzedlimbwithNeurobridgeandMartinstrustinlesserexperiencedinterns(andtheirtrustinhisvision)iswhatmadethedifferenceincreatingthefirstrealtimeadaptiveartificialankle.

Whenitcomestocreativeteams,nomagicaltipscanbefollowed,nocreativesuperstarscansaveusandnospecificinnovativestrategieswillleadyourteamtoearthshatteringsuccess.Trueinnovationandcreativitycomesdowntoaheartchangeinleadership,notastrategychange.

JustinBradyisawriterandspeakerfocusedoncultivatingcreativity.HefoundedtheIowaCreativitySummitandlivesinDesMoines,whereheownsTestofTimeDesign,ameaningfulmarketingagency.FindhimonTwitter@justinbrady

Tags:innovation,innovationinscience,justinbrady,leadership,technologyandcreativity

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"The Creative Stories Behind These Medical Breakthroughs… May Disappoint You" By The Creativity Post