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Bob Gaskill

I have been in medical device my entire career, with a focus on implantable cardiac devices. I have also focused on what brings value to customers and patients, which inturn improves company value.

Hopkins, Minnesota, US

About Bob

Over 35 years in medical device product development at Guidant/Boston Scientific and Medtronic. Spanned numerous technologies, functions, and therapies. Led and was a member of teams that developed valuable technical improvements in implantable defibrillators, pacemakers, and patient management systems. Bob is an accomplished medical device senior leader with a history of success in delivering value in product innovation. He has deep experience in engineering leadership, product development, program management, strategic planning, team development, and managing complexity. BSEE from the University of Iowa. MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

Company

North American EP Technology has exciting and much-needed innovation for the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) market that addresses critical unmet needs and drives clinical value.

There is substantial clinical evidence that ICDs save lives. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated this. Two critical unmet needs remain:

  1. Lead complications – improvements have been made, but there is still room to improve. Get the leads out of the heart while maintaining antitachycardia pacing (ATP) expectations of transvenous ICDs.
  2. Inappropriate shocks—this continues to be a challenge. Clinical studies indicate that reducing inappropriate shocks improves all-cause mortality by 45-55%. ~40 to 60% of the shocks delivered are considered inappropriate.
    We have comprehensive and innovative solutions for both. Solving these unmet needs will significantly improve patient outcomes, reduce therapy costs, and increase patient access.

    Two successful preclinical studies confirm our updated sensing technology and achieve low-pacing thresholds to support ATP. Our system requires surgical updates to the ICD hardware and firmware while leveraging the main design.

    The global ICD market is estimated to be ~ $5 billion. The North American EP Technology product will participate in all aspects of the ICD market. We believe that we will create markets and take market share by reducing lead complications and inappropriate shocks—both of which inhibit penetration of this life-saving therapy.

    Our founder and CEO is Yanhui Li, MD, PhD, a seasoned electrophysiologist and teaching professor with over thirty years of experience in China and the US. Our CTO, Bob Gaskill, is a medical device industry veteran with over 35 years of experience at CPI/Guidant/Boston Scientific and Medtronic. Their expertise and leadership are instrumental in driving our innovation and success.

    Our board and advisors include Milton Morris, PhD, Paul McLean, and Bruce KenKnight, PhD. These three have deep ICD experience in business development, sales leadership, research, and finance, in addition to further expertise in startups with successful exits. Their engagement further validates our technology and innovation.

Company Stage

Development

Funding Raised

$1m to $5m

Team Size

1-5 employees

Annual Revenue

$0 to $100k

Founded

2023

Industry

Healthcare

Skills

HealthcareMedical DevicesSenior Leader in Medical DeviceEngineering LeadershipProduct DevelopmentProgram ManagementStrategic PlanningTeam Development

Healthcare

Extensive experience in the healthcare industry, specifically in medical devices.

Medical Devices

Focused career in medical devices, particularly implantable cardiac devices.

Senior Leader in Medical Device

Accomplished leader with a history of success in delivering value in product innovation.

Engineering Leadership

Deep experience in engineering leadership, managing complex projects in medical device development.

Product Development

Over 35 years in medical device product development, focusing on implantable cardiac devices.

Program Management

Led teams in developing technical improvements in implantable defibrillators and pacemakers.

Strategic Planning

Experience in strategic planning to drive product innovation and company value.

Team Development

Skilled in developing teams to enhance product development processes.

Experience

job

Senior Leader

Guidant/Boston Scientific

Led teams in the development of implantable defibrillators and pacemakers, focusing on technical improvements and product innovation.

Successfully delivered multiple product innovations that enhanced patient outcomes and reduced therapy costs.

education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE)

University of Iowa

Completed undergraduate studies focusing on electrical engineering principles.

Graduated with a degree that laid the foundation for a career in medical device engineering.

education

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

University of St. Thomas

Pursued advanced studies in business administration, focusing on strategic management and innovation.

Graduated with an MBA that enhanced leadership and strategic planning skills.

job

Senior Leader

Medtronic

Oversaw product development and engineering leadership in the medical device sector, managing complex projects.

Contributed to significant advancements in patient management systems and implantable devices.