Goddard Technologies employs a diverse staff of engineers and product managers with a wide range of expertise. In this blog, Jessica Sacks, Engineering Manager, delves into her specialty in biomedical engineering, specifically FemTech, and its importance in the future of medical device technology.
What is FemTech?
FemTech is a subset of both medical and consumer products specifically designed to focus on women’s health. It is an area that has historically been underrepresented, underfunded, and under-researched. As more women are joining the STEM fields, our unheard voices are coming to the forefront of the product development world. Having women in the room where product development advances are being made to improve health and provide diverse options for healthcare products is vital. At Goddard, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our teams and products that we are working on.
What are the Key Areas of Progress in FemTech?
Areas of continued development in the FemTech industry are urological, birth, and pelvic health. Goddard has worked directly with clients making unique advances in these fields to aid in the health of mothers and women during challenging periods of life. Many areas that have not had medical advances in the past years are starting to gain further traction. Birth and post-birth uterine changes are a prime example. During natural vaginal birth, approximately 90% of women will have some form of tearing during delivery.[1]
Urinary incontinence can also occur post-birth and after pelvic floor trauma, menopause, or obesity in women[2]. These life-changing and often embarrassing episodes can make daily living uncomfortable. Goddard has partnered with companies that are making strides into alleviating the pain for these mothers during and after birth and adding more consistency and dependability into the daily lives of women affected by these pain points.
Design Verification & Validation: Ensuring Safety & Efficacy
Design Verification and Validation is a crucial phase of medical device development. It is where all the design aspects are challenged to prove the safety and efficacy of the device. For women’s health products, it is especially important to have representation of all user groups in the development of the tests. During Design Validation, real end-users and physicians are often required to participate in studies. Diversifying the end user groups to cover a wide range of backgrounds and anatomical differences better confirms that these devices will work for a vast majority of female users.
What Vital Role Do Women Play in STEM?
Women in STEM provide a specific perspective on the development cycle, especially for Verification and Validation activities, as they can directly imagine and understand testing conditions based on the intimate understanding of the anatomical and physiological aspects the device will undergo during use. Having this knowledge of the anatomy that these devices will be used within, allows female designers to have a unique perspective when designing test figures and producing test criteria. These engineers can better imagine the end use case and, therefore, ensure that the safety and efficacy of the device are thoroughly tested and valid.
At Goddard, we want to ensure that the devices we help to develop and bring to market with our partners will better the lives of the women who use them.
Learn more about how Goddard is helping to shape the future of FemTech and how we can bring your innovative solution for women’s health to life.
About Jessica: Jessica is an Engineering Manager at Goddard, leading a team of five mechanical engineers. She has 10 years of experience in the medical device industry, with a focus on biomedical engineering. She has a Master of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
[1] “Vaginal Tearing during Childbirth.” Cleveland Clinic, 1 May 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21212-vaginal-tears-during-childbirth.
[2] “Urinary Incontinence in Women.” Yale Medicine, Yale Medicine, 30 Oct. 2022, www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/urinary-incontinence-in-women#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20underlying%20causes,impairment%2C%20chronic%20coughing%20or%20constipation.
