Expert Details
Medical Device Accidents, Surgical Fires, Oxygen Safety, Medical Gas Piping, Failure Analysis
ID: 729827
Pennsylvania, USA
Several of Eng. Expert's investigations involved surgical staplers, which are used instead of sutures to speed and reduce the complexity of certain surgeries. By examination of the staplers, recovered staples, and excised tissue, he was able to demonstrate that the stapler that these were cases of device misuse and not the fault of the device.By examination of the location of the air intake for a medical air system, Eng. Expert showed that intermittant contaminants were entrained with the intake air and led to poisoning deaths of neonates.A surgical fire case involved an emergency procedure in which an alcohol-based skin prep was inappropriately used. Eng. Expert demonstrated how the fire was started and spread causing the pattern of burns to the patient.Several of Eng. Expert's cases involved catheters. In one case, simple observation of the failure surface of the catheter showed that it was cut with scissors. It was possible that this was a user error or a purposeful act.A purported case of frostbite was attributed to a cooling pad that used ice water. Eng. demonstrated that the device could not cause frostbite and that the injuries sustained were most likely caused by long exposure to wet and cold contrary to the device's and doctor's instuctions for use.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1986 | Degree: ABD PhD | Subject: Applied Mechanics | Institution: Drexel University |
| Year: 1974 | Degree: MS | Subject: Engineering Science and Mechanics | Institution: VA Tech |
| Year: 1972 | Degree: BS | Subject: Engineering Mechanics | Institution: Penn State |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2010 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Senior Engineering Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:Eng. Expert provides healthcare and engineering consultation, research, investigation, writing, and testimony. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 2010 | Employer: ECRI Institute | Title: Associate Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:Eng. Expert has investigated more than 250 medical device accidents and fires for healthcare organizations, insurers, and law firms. he was deposed 10 times and testified at trial twice. He assisted standards writing committees in U.S. and Canada. He assisted in management of group of about 20 engineers and scientists in engineering projects and journal publication. Also wrote articles for a peer-reviewed journal. Finally he planned, executed, and wrote evaluations of medical devices. |
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International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 2002 to 2002 | Country / Region: France | Summary: Eng. Expert and an associate determined the most probable cause of more than 500 cases of fainting and malaise that occurred in a large hospital. |
| Years: 1998 to 1998 | Country / Region: Chile | Summary: Eng. Expert gave lectures to Chilean clinicians and the Chilean Department of Health on the risk to of the Y2K bug to patients from various medical devices. |
| Years: 1998 to 1998 | Country / Region: Malaysia | Summary: Eng. Expert helped set up ECRI's Malyasian office, gave lectures, and made hospital safety surveys during his stay. |
| Years: 2005 to 2005 | Country / Region: Canada | Summary: Eng. Expert gave a three day lecture on medical deivce accident investigation to Helath Canada's investigators. |
| Years: 2004 to 2004 | Country / Region: Costa Rica | Summary: Eng. Expert was one of several lecturers for a week-long seminar on medical technology issues for Coast Rica's biomedical and clinical engineers. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Amerian Society for Materials, National Society of Professinla Engineers, National Academy of Forensic Engineers. |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Professional Engineer registered in Pennsylvania |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Member board of directors of Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Eng. Expert has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and has given more than 160 lectures, mostly on healthcare technology topics. |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Eng. Expert has been deposed 12 times and hsa testified at trial three times. He has been in both Federal and state courts. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Eng. Expert worked on several US and Canadian standards committes for such things as laser resitance of tracheal tubes, surgical smoke removal, oxygen safety, anesthsia safety, and surgical fire safety. He produced a video on surgical fire safety for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. He has lectured on several healthcare technology topics such as surgical fire safety, oxygen safety, disaster planning, electrosurgical safety, and medical device accident investigation in the US, Canada, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| Eng. Expert is one of two world experts in surgical fire safety and investigation. He is one of a handfull of medical device accident investigators. He has investigated in many US cities and 4 countries. |
| Marketing Experience |
|---|
| Eng. Expert has examined and evaulated many types of medical devices and procedures and published peer-reviewed articles on the issues he found. He has performed failure analyses from large machinery down to small sensors. |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Eng. Expert is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania. He has given laboratory tours to many school classes and can make complex technology simple to understand. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| English | Eng. Expert's native tongue is English. |
| French | Eng. Expert parle un peu de francais. |
Fields of Expertise
accident investigation, failure analysis, medical device, metal failure, product failure, medical errors, accident photography, lifting device accident, accident causation, medical device evaluation, mechanical engineering analysis, medical gas, Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990, fatigue failure, cannula, medical device inspection, surgical staple, surgical garment, surgical drape, Medical Device Reporting regulation, medical device reporting, inhaler, medical filter, blood pressure monitoring, oxygenator, stainless steel failure analysis, steel failure analysis, stainless steel failure, steel failure, oxygen-enriched atmosphere, oxygen safety, surgical equipment, nonferrous alloy, medical device safety, medical device testing, battery failure, hemostat, fire extinguisher, electrocoagulation, endoscopy, ureteroscopic device, forensic materials failure analysis, nonferrous metal failure analysis, medical device hazard analysis, stent, surgical implant device, surgical glove, electrical fire, medical device mechanical stress analysis, medical device design, fault tree analysis, mechanical respirator, orthosis, fire, nonferrous metal, accident, surgical instrument, surgery, prosthesis, metal failure analysis, fire safety code, failure modes and effects analysis, materials failure analysis, endoscope, electrosurgery, catheter, biomedical engineering