Customer discovery in neurointervention: a practical primer for identifying unmet needs

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Neurointervention
• Clinical Innovation

Background:

• Neurointervention advancements rely on new technologies and devices.
• Physician-innovators use customer discovery to identify clinical challenges.
• This guides early-stage innovation by understanding end-user needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a stepwise framework for customer discovery in neurointervention.
• To characterize key areas of unmet need within the field.
• To guide the development of novel neurointerventional devices.

Main Methods:

• Customer discovery principles from business literature were adapted.
• Five expert neurointerventionalists were interviewed.
• Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify themes and create a customer profile.

Main Results:

• Identified unmet needs include safer vascular access and prognostication tools.
• Condition-specific device design is another critical area.
• Concerns were raised about innovation stagnation and regulatory barriers.

Conclusions:

• Structured customer discovery uncovers unmet needs missed by technology-driven development.
• This framework aligns neurointervention innovation with clinical realities.
• It offers a practical model for future device development.