2 min read

Medical Device Innovation: A Doctor’s Journey to Transforming Respiratory Care

Heather Antonovich : Feb 10, 2025 4:27:31 PM

Maria Artunduaga, MD, MPH, MTM Founder and CEO of Samay

In This Podcast:

How and why Dr. Artunduaga created her company
The challenges she faced while garnering investments
Why community and mentorship are crucial
The journey to winning the grand prize at Medtech Innovator

Sometimes, the biggest changes in healthcare come from unexpected places. Take Dr. Maria Artunduaga, for instance. She’s a Colombian-born physician who made a bold leap from the hospital to the world of startups. Her story is all about passion and the drive to improve patient care. It shows us how, with the right support, we can really change the way we diagnose and treat chronic conditions.

Conquering the Largest MedTech Accelerator

MedTech Innovator is known as one of the world’s largest accelerators in the MedTech space, attracting more than a thousand startups every year. Among that sizable pool, Dr. Maria Artunduaga and her team earned the top prize with their innovative solution for respiratory care. It’s a strong sign that her practical, patient-focused approach resonates with both clinicians and investors.

A Doctor Turned Entrepreneur Tackling Medical Devices

Dr. Artunduaga’s medical background gave her a unique insight into the challenges of managing respiratory diseases. Inspired by her grandmother’s struggle with COPD, she began to wonder: what if there was a way to create an affordable, accurate respiratory monitor that patients could use at home? And that’s how she set out to develop a portable device that uses acoustic resonance and AI to catch early signs of disease flare-ups before they become emergencies.

Real Challenges, Resilient Approach

Starting a Medtech company is no small feat, even for someone as determined as Dr. Artunduaga. She faced some tough hurdles along the way, like:

Funding Delays: While non-dilutive grants are great, applying for them can feel like an eternity.
Clinical Validation: As a physician, she knew what standards needed to be met, but adapting these to new tech wasn’t easy.
Regulatory Nuances: Meeting safety and efficacy requirements meant she had to plan meticulously and keep refining her approach.

Instead of getting discouraged, Dr. Artunduaga sought out various accelerators — local mentorships and even global competitions like MedTech Innovator. These connections didn’t just offer funds; they provided the feedback she needed to ensure her device would actually work for clinicians in the real world.

The Power of Community and Mentorship

A key part of Dr. Artunduaga’s journey has been the support of her community — advisors, fellow entrepreneurs, and industry veterans who saw the potential in her innovation. In the MedTech space, having these allies can turn a great idea into a product that hits the market. In particular, her experience with MedTech Innovator was transformative. Through their rigorous program, she tapped into a global network of experts who offered candid feedback during pitch sessions, hands-on guidance on clinical validation, and crucial investor insights. This nurturing environment not only refined her device to better meet the demands of real-world clinical settings but also validated her vision when she went on to win the grand prize for MedTech Innovator. That recognition underscored the impact of community support, proving that every challenge can turn into an opportunity for breakthrough innovation.

What’s Next for Samay

Right now, Dr. Artunduaga is fine-tuning her prototype so it can be manufactured cost-effectively and distributed widely. Her goal? To change how chronic respiratory conditions are monitored, saving lives and reducing healthcare costs. Her journey highlights how professionals from different backgrounds can come together to create lasting solutions by combining clinical expertise with innovative thinking. Dr. Artunduaga’s story reminds us that firsthand medical insight, determination, and strong collaboration can open up new pathways in care. Her success isn’t just about one device; it’s proof that breakthroughs often come from those willing to take risks and ask, “How can we do this better?”

If you’re inspired by Dr. Artunduaga’s journey and want to explore innovative paths to MedTech success, check out our Product Design and Development and Integrated Services that help founders channel their passion for improving patient outcomes.