TCT 2011

This past week, I had the privilege of attending the 2011 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference (aka TCT) held this year in San Francisco. Abbott gave us engineers each a day pass to go listen to physicians speak about current/future medical device products, procedures and pathologies. They also had industry booths and live cases streaming that showed challenging procedures being performed or innovative devices being used. Check out a few of the pics I managed to snap:

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Welcome to TCT 2011!

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They had an exhibit called "Hands on Hearts" that allowed individuals an opportunity to handle cadaver hearts that had been pre-dissected to show specific disease states (and occasionally any previously implanted devices). Very interesting to see (up close no less) the kinds of things that go wrong with hearts that we (as an industry) work so hard to treat.

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A neat diversion from the seriousness of the conference, the "Art from the Heart" exhibit showed one artist's interpretation of the inspiration of hearts through sculpture (including marble, bronze and wood mediums).

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While the last several TCT conferences have alternated between SF and Washington DC, it looks like next year's will be in Miami. As much as I'd like to go, I won't be holding my breath for Abbott to send me.

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The R&D group met up at Thirsty Bear near the Moscone Center for some after-TCT libation refreshment. I enjoyed a cheese/beer pairing called "bucheret" which matched a soft cheese from Redwood Hill Dairy in Sonoma, CA with a Thirsty Bear's golden vanilla beer (ale infused with vanilla beans). Yum.

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I got to hear a lot of feedback from physicians regarding the product I work on, MitraClip, and also about mitral valve treatments in general. Also a good opportunity to catch up with former co-workers at other companies as well. Cheerio!