Tiny instruments mean big business for JustRight

LOUISVILLE — Some might say it’s an example of been there, done that, but for the founders of JustRight Surgical LLC — a Louisville startup made up of medical-device professionals who have spent their careers conceptualizing, developing and introducing breakthrough technologies that transform surgical procedures — it’s the right thing to do. Period.

Two decades ago it was this very team of professionals who engineered and marketed the LigaSure vessel-sealing technology — now used in surgical suites just about everywhere — while working at Valleylab in Boulder, a billion-dollar company now doing business as Medtronic.

After many pursued other positions and projects at different companies, they got back together to form JustRight Surgical, which makes surgical instruments that are “just right” for pint-sized patients — neonates to adolescents.

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This makes Dr. Steven Rothenberg, chief of pediatric surgery at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver and founder/medical adviser with JustRight, a happy man.

The smaller instruments allow for smaller incisions during laparoscopic operations, resulting in reduced complications and scarring, he explained. Before, Rothenberg and pediatric surgeons like him were reduced to jerry-rigging adult-sized instruments or not using them at all in delicate operations.

Rothenberg said he presented his case for pediatric-sized instruments annually as a member of the Valleylab advisory board. However, the small pediatrics market wasn’t big enough to be considered feasible for the billion-dollar company.

He had all but given up hope that downsized laparoscopic instruments would be a reality until six years ago, when he was approached by former Valleylab employees who were ready to embark on a new business venture — one that would make a differDowntown Estes Park largely is devoted to seasonal tourism-related businesses. A new business incubator is being designed to diversify the mountain town’s economy. Image by Dallas Heltzellence.

Together, they met with 15 thought leaders from a half dozen countries attending a a major pediatrics meeting and asked them for their list of the top needs for the pediatric market. The top two? A 5mm stapler and a 3mm vessel sealer, both of which are now available, thanks to JustRight Surgical.

But before that could happen, the company had to get off the ground. Rothenberg and the five other founders — Russell Lindemann, president/CEO; Dale Schmaltz, director of engineering; Jennifer Kennedy, director of research; Patti Hoag, director of marketing; and Scott Drake, board member — put up the initial seed money.

Since then, JustRight, recognized as a Colorado Company to Watch in 2014, has raised more than $20 million in financing, said Lindemann, who added that the company doesn’t have the normal fundraising challenges that many other companies encounter.

“It has been surprisingly efficient to get financing because of the story of JustRight and what we’re doing and the opportunity to change the face of health care for these tiny patients,” he said. “It’s a great mission that resonates with the local community.”

The first year of the company’s existence was spent proving feasibility, a rigorous engineering process, said marketing director Hoag, followed by the development process. Tiny instruments require even tinier parts, she said, and they found a local machine shop that could make these tiny parts, one the size of the date on a dime. Parts are then shipped to Massachusetts, where they are assembled by a manufacturer with the required clean room.

JustRight’s pediatric devices have shipped to 100 of the 225 named children’s hospitals in the United States, along with hospitals in the United Kingdom and select countries in Europe, Lindemann said. The products have Food and Drug Administration approval for the U.S. and Ce Mark approval for the U.K. and European markets. The company is currently working on getting its products into Canada.

The company, now with 23 employees, continues to work on that wish list generated at the 2010 meeting with pediatric surgeons from around the world. “We are in the process of tackling the next two products, and we have three to four in the hopper,” Hoag said. The first of these is expected to be out by the end of this year.

And Lindemann noted that smaller instruments could be a good thing for adult surgeries requiring minimally invasive techniques.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Steven Rothenberg’s title and hospital affiliation have been corrected.