From Observation to Intervention: Mapping the MedTech Gaps

When we sat down with Dr. Chandan, a general and proctologist consultant surgeon from Bangalore with 35+ years of experience, we weren’t sure what to expect. But we knew one thing before diving head-first into the MedTech space as a design agency, we needed to listen first. Because the internet can only tell you so much.

As a studio that’s worked on 100+ projects across sectors—automotive, fintech, consumer electronics, biotech—we’ve learned that great design doesn’t come from jumping in with ready-made answers. It comes from asking the right questions, adapting to context, and working closely with those who live the problems every day.

MedTech is one of those rare spaces where design can be life-changing, when done right.

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The Role of AI and Real-Time Tech in Medicine

Take something as niche and critical as fistula surgery. Dr. Chandan walked us through how understanding the exact layout of muscle and tract structures is crucial—because a single wrong cut can drastically impact a patient’s recovery, comfort, or even function. That’s where AI, combined with MRI imaging, has started playing a role in visualising 3D reconstructions before surgery.

It’s a powerful use of tech—not to replace the surgeon, but to assist them. As Dr. Chandan put it, AI isn’t here to take away jobs. It’s here to amplify good judgment.

With this ever-evolving tech, medical students and even experienced doctors need to keep themselves updated and afloat of the new up-comings. And it goes without saying, a lot of this learning happens through experience coupled with regular training sessions, seminars, webinars, and yes, YouTube. Now combine this with real-time 3D reconstructions? You unlock better decision-making, safer outcomes, and even new possibilities in medical training.

And it’s not just in the operating room (OR) where better design and technology can make a difference.

Our conversation naturally expanded beyond the OR. We discussed digital record keeping, the varying tech stacks in hospitals, and where systems start to break down. One pain point stood out sharply: the discharge process. A patient can be cleared by the doctor at 9 AM, but due to insurance-related paperwork and system lag, they may not leave the hospital till 6 PM.

That’s not just inconvenient—it clogs beds, delays incoming patients, and burdens families. These are the invisible cracks in the system that design has the potential to rethink.

And this is just scratching the surface. From AI to stem cells, 3D printing to surgical workflow optimisation, it’s clear the MedTech space isn’t short of innovation. What it often lacks is design that connects the dots between tech, people, and systems.

Hunting for Problem Statements

This is just the first of many conversations we’re having to understand the nuances of MedTech. We’re not here to reinvent the system, just to listen better, ask smarter questions, and design in ways that support the people who keep it running.

We’re actively seeking new problem statements to tackle. If you’re in the MedTech space or know someone who is, whether a practitioner, innovator, or product owner we’d love to hear from you and explore how we can contribute.

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