Want to be a better inventor?
Here is the story of one inventor. It starts with a statistic: one out of every 100 babies born around the world each year have heart disease.
Some of these children have a hole in their heart. Not too long ago, fixing this problem would require major heart surgery.
Dr. Franz Freudenthal, a Bolivian pediatric cardiologist, thought he could help. Freudenthal was encouraged by his grandmother to become a doctor as she was, and he became interested in medical devices.
Freudenthal’s story caught my eye because his philosophy conveys lessons for any inventor — “the most complex problems in our time can be solved with simple techniques, if we are able to dream.”
This is Lesson No. 1: Keep the design of your invention as simple and elegant as possible. There is sometimes a natural tendency to solve difficult problems with a complicated solution. Do not assume that more complexity means for value for customers. Remember you need to be able to explain your idea in just a few sentences.
As Freudenthal said at a TED Talk in Vancouver, B.C., last year, “One night, my friend Malte and I were camping in the Amazon region. The only thing that would not burn in the fire was a green avocado branch. Then came a moment of inspiration. So we used the branch as a mold for our first invention. The holes in the children’s hearts can be closed with a coil. A coil is a piece of wire wrapped onto itself. This was our first successful attempt to create a device for this major problem.”
This is Lesson No. 2: Be purposeful about not being stuck in your home office or garage. You do not need to go to the Amazon for inspiration. Instead, find a space where you can clear your mind and make new connections with your idea and the world around you.
Over time, Freudenthal found his original wire coil concept did not work as well as he had expected. He began to consider other alternatives.
He discovered a solution in his heritage, sharing at the TED Talk, “For centuries, indigenous women told stories of weaving complex patterns on looms and this was an unexpected skill that helped us with the new device. We took this traditional method of weaving and make a design made of smart material. We could create a seamless device that does not rust because it’s made of only one piece.”
A catheter delivers the device. Freudenthal explains, “Our device expands, places itself and closes the hole.”
To date, Freudenthal’s medical device invention has cured tens of thousands of children around the world.
This leads to the last lesson: Be patient when making improvements on your invention. Sometimes you will need to start over. Do not discount your own life experience and history. Be open to an idea coming from almost anywhere.
Freudenthal began his journey inspired by his grandmother’s legacy in medicine. At his TED Talk, he shared a stanza of the Rudyard Kipling poem “The Explorer” that his grandmother loved: “Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Mountains. Something lost behind the mountains. Lost and waiting for you. Go!”
Kipling’s poem is an anthem for inventors. Maybe you will change the world at the same time.
Pat Sisneros is the Vice President of College Services at Everett Community College and former small business owner. Please send your comments to psisneros@everettcc.edu
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