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Adrienne Oda Age: 28 Healionics Seattle, WA


UNDER THIRTY W


atching her grandfather’s struggle with cancer convinced Adrienne Oda to pursue a bioengineering degree. “I think that left a big impression on


me,” says Adrienne, the lead R&D/quality engineer for Healionics, a medical device manufacturer in Seattle. “I wanted to be involved in making medical devices, improv- ing the quality of people’s lives, healthcare … ” After seven years with her company, Adrienne’s accomplishments include


helping to invent a better artificial vascular graft—her name’s on the patent application—and coming up with a better way to manufacture Healionic’s proprietary STAR biomaterial, a soft, spongy silicone. STAR is used for many things, including the com-


pany’s glaucoma drainage device, STARflo. But there were problems with producing the material. “We originally were manufacturing it one sheet at a time,” Adrienne explains. But a new approach, which involved producing a block of the material and then slicing it, led to deformities.


“So, I had the idea of embedding the material with wax,” says Adrienne. “That’s the way they do that in histology (the study of tissues at the microscopic level).” Problem solved. Later, Adrienne helped set up a manufacturing facil-


ity for STAR in Belgium, a task that opened her eyes to disparities in trans-Atlantic operations. “Equipment is more expensive in Europe,” she says of the machines that could manufacture STAR there. “There were a couple of items we deemed it more cost-effective to ship from the US.”


76 AdvancedManufacturing.org | July 2015


But when the company couldn’t get the exact models workers had been using in the United States, Adrienne had to brainstorm, and make some adjust- ments on site. The fixes worked, and now the Belgian facility is making STAR for its European market. Adrienne also helped develop a new vascular graft


“Adrienne’s positive energy and team-first attitude set a superb example for the more junior employees.”


that promises to overcome an old problem: constric- tion often seen in grafts after blood clots and scar tissue form. The new device uses the body’s natural healing process to


do its work, according to company literature. As for the second half of her title—quality engi- neer—Adrienne has that job because she volunteered for it. “We’re a pretty small company, and I just volun-


teered because it needed to be done,” says Adrienne. “I knew it was a requirement and only my boss was certified.”


A few classes later, not only was Adrienne Healion- ics’ quality engineer, she helped the company become ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified. It’s that type of attitude that led Adrienne’s boss, Healionics’ director and chief technology officer, An- drew J. Marshall, to nominate her for 30 Under 30. “Adrienne’s positive energy and team-first attitude set a superb example for the more junior employees and help define the atmosphere of our small company,” Marshall wrote in his nomination letter. “She is willing to go the extra mile to make sure jobs get done on time. “Above all, Adrienne is always filling gaps before others notice them, keeping our manufacturing op- eration running smoothly, and finding ways to make everyone else’s job easier.”


Her grandfather would no doubt be very proud.


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