The Lemelson Foundation

“Resilience is just as important as innovation,” Dr. Maria Artunduaga shared as advice that she would have given herself at the start of her invention journey.

She left her career in plastic surgery to found the company Samay to support respiratory health and prevent misdiagnosis-related deaths. Her grandmother Sylvia’s fatal struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inspired her to invent Sylvee, a device that monitors lung function at home.

Under her leadership, Samay has grown from a startup with one prototype to a global leader in medical innovation with 18 patents and 19 pending approvals.

Learn more: https://www.lemelson.org/maria-artunduaga/

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