Stryker Endoscopy
MedTech New Product Development
2020–2024
The Context
Stryker Endoscopy develops FDA-regulated medical imaging and visualization systems used during minimally invasive surgery. These systems, including 4K cameras, light sources, and integrated OR hubs, are what surgeons see through during laparoscopic and arthroscopic procedures.
I spent four years on the New Product Development team, progressing from Test Engineer to Design Quality Engineer. My work sat at the intersection of engineering, clinical users, and commercial teams, bringing surgical devices from development through FDA clearance, launch, and post-market support.
Along the way, I found myself consistently drawn to the product side: understanding clinical workflows, running user studies, defining requirements, and championing the end user. These experiences are what led me to pursue product management.
Preparing for a user study with surgeons for a new Stryker Case Care app to be used during endoscopy procedures.
What I Did
Workstream 1: Clinical User Research for Integrated OR Solution
Led a formative user study to evaluate a new integrated OR solution designed to route, connect, and control all devices in the operating room from a single hub. Worked directly with surgeons, nurses, and sales reps to understand how it fit into real clinical workflows.
Approach
- —Organized the entire study end-to-end: recruited 12+ surgeons, OR nurses, and field sales reps, coordinated schedules, and set up the simulation lab environment.
- —Developed a structured interview guide and session plan, then used it to moderate testing sessions and take detailed notes, with livestream recordings so the broader engineering team could observe in real time.
- —Identified friction points and synthesized findings into a prioritized set of UX recommendations, presenting tradeoffs to engineering and product leadership.
What I Delivered
- —Structured slide decks presenting findings and recommended UX enhancements to engineering and product leadership.
- —Jira tickets for all agreed-upon fixes, ensuring findings translated directly into the development backlog.
Workstream 2: SDC4K Device Launch — OR Image & Video Capture
Served as Hardware Test Lead for the SDC4K, a 4K endoscopic image and video capture device used during minimally invasive surgery. Owned the design verification process from test planning through launch readiness.
Approach
- —Developed and owned the end-to-end hardware verification test plan, coordinating across R&D, regulatory, and manufacturing stakeholders.
- —Executed testing protocols to validate device performance against FDA design control requirements.
- —Communicated launch readiness, open risks, and go/no-go recommendations to cross-functional leadership throughout the development cycle.
What I Delivered
- —Successful hardware verification enabling FDA clearance and commercial launch of the SDC4K.
- —Detailed test reports documenting all verification results, supporting the regulatory submission package.
- —Weekly defect presentations to the cross-functional team, with all issues logged and tracked in Jira through resolution.
Workstream 3: RFID Equipment Tracking System
As the product manager for this initiative, I led the development of an internal equipment tracking system from user research through MVP delivery. The system aimed to save significant time spent by engineers to manually search for test equipment.
Approach
- —Conducted 20+ user interviews across 3 sites to validate the problem and understand workflows, equipment types, and search patterns.
- —Built a business case and presented to finance team, securing $100K in internal funding to pursue the project.
- —Scoped MVP requirements, selected an external vendor, and managed the vendor relationship through development and deployment.
What I Delivered
- —A phased project roadmap for rollout across 3 Stryker sites.
- —A working MVP of the RFID equipment tracking system with real-time asset tracking, equipment checkout, and floor-plan visualization for the San Jose site.
- —User testing guides and structured feedback delivered to the vendor, driving iterative improvements to the tracking system.
Early prototype of the RFID asset tracking system for real-time location tracking at the San Jose Stryker site, replacing manual equipment search.
Outcomes & Takeaways
- —Conducting user studies and observing healthcare providers use our products showed me the importance of deep immersion in clinical workflows, beyond relying on engineering judgment.
- —The RFID project was a turning point as it was the first time I owned the full problem-to-solution arc as a product manager, and it confirmed that PM was where I wanted to build my career.
- —Navigating FDA requirements, cross-functional R&D teams, and the gap between what engineers build and what clinicians need gave me a strong foundation that translates directly to health tech startups building hardware and software products for clinical care.