Development of an Integrated Innovation Program into Interventional Radiology Residency and Fellowship

Given the dynamic problem solving interventionalists face daily, clinical needs for innovation are identified rapidly. Residents serve on the “front lines” of this process and have educational mandates for research met by the device development process. At our single-center, bi-university institution, trainees receive grand rounds lectures about disclosure and intellectual property protection from law school and engineering faculty and are exposed to the technology transfer office processes. In addition, trainees are encouraged to submit ideas to a capstone program. If accepted, a team of engineering students advised by the trainee will focus on device development as part of a graduation requirement. A biannual exhibition showcase exposes Capstone teams to funding and partnership opportunities. Other opportunities include local grant support for combined clinical-engineering investigators and graduate level device development support.

In the new interventional radiology (IR) residency infrastructure, an “innovation track” will encourage trainees to meet research requirements with preclinical and clinical testing. Residents can publish their results and speak at national and international conferences, while advancing development of their device innovation. Independent of device success, graduates of the residency program will have an intrinsic understanding of the device development process in addition to a strong clinical, procedural, and imaging skillset. The program will also allow for recruitment of competitive leaders in an expanding field. A medical school initiative will provide opportunities for interested students. Future developments include creation of seminar courses for trainees and faculty and increased events for collaboration between engineering and IR students, trainees, and faculty.