We usually think about innovation in the life sciences as being discovery-driven. Across university research laboratories and throughout the biotech and pharma industries, scientific breakthroughs have been the launching point for major product developments in the familiar bench-to-bedside trajectory.

Over the past decade, however, a focus on needs-based innovation has emerged as an alternate strategy for medical product development, particularly in the domain of biomedical technology (medical devices and diagnostics). Influenced by the spread of design thinking across campuses and corporations alike, innovators are beginning to focus on developing a deep understanding of clinical needs …