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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24/3/2015 TheCreativeStoriesBehindTheseMedicalBreakthroughsMayDisappointYou|TheCreativityPost
http://www.creativitypost.com/technology/the_creative_stories_behind_these_medical_breakthroughs_may_disappoint_you 2/5
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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24/3/2015 TheCreativeStoriesBehindTheseMedicalBreakthroughsMayDisappointYou|TheCreativityPost
http://www.creativitypost.com/technology/the_creative_stories_behind_these_medical_breakthroughs_may_disappoint_you 3/5
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/
24/3/2015 TheCreativeStoriesBehindTheseMedicalBreakthroughsMayDisappointYou|TheCreativityPost
http://www.creativitypost.com/technology/the_creative_stories_behind_these_medical_breakthroughs_may_disappoint_you 4/5
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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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24/3/2015 TheCreativeStoriesBehindTheseMedicalBreakthroughsMayDisappointYou|TheCreativityPost
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