PRESS RELEASE
Analysis Research & Planning for Armenia (ARPA)
18106 Miranda Street, Tarzana, CA 91356
& Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA)
417 W. Arden Ave., Suite 112C, Glendale, CA 91203
Contact: Hagop Panossian
Tel: (818) 586-9660
E-mail: hpanossian@hotmail.com
Web:
ARPA Institute and Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America
present the Lecture/Seminar “Advances in Implantable Medical Device
Technologies” on Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 7:30 PM in the Merdinian
School Auditorium. The presenter is Dr. Varaz Shahmirian.
The address is 13330 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
Directions: On the 101 FY Exit on Woodman, Go North and Turn Right
on Riverside Dr.
Abstract: Implantable medical devices have been successfully used in
treating several diseases such as heart failure and sudden cardiac
arrest, diabetes, deafness, neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s
disease. These devices include pacemakers, cochlear implants, neuro
stimulators, and implantable drug delivery pumps used in pain therapy
and insulin delivery. These devices are implanted in different parts
of body depending on the therapy, and consist of highly miniaturized
electronics, electrical leads, wireless communication modules,
electromechanical assemblies, and sophisticated algorithms. They
are packaged and sealed in a fully biocompatible titanium case and
operate on a custom battery for several years. This lecture will
present an overview of several of these implantable medical devices
and the innovative technologies that are approved by the FDA, or are
currently under clinical evaluations.
Varaz Shahmirian: is a Senior Engineering Director at Medtronic
MiniMed in Northridge, CA. He received his BS and MS from Michigan
Tech University, and Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering from Drexel
University in 1987. He joined Signal Technology Inc in Santa Barbara,
where he was engaged in algorithm development for speech signal
processing. In 1992, he joined Siemens Medical Systems in Seattle,
WA as Senior Scientist working on diagnostic ultrasound system design
and development. In 1996 he joined the start up Medical Research Group,
in Sylmar, CA, as Engineering Director where he successfully led the
efforts in development of implantable insulin delivery system through
clinicals and approval in Europe. The company was acquired by Medtronic
MiniMed in 2001. Dr. Shahmirian has continued his focus on research
and development of the next generation implantable drug delivery
systems. He holds 15 patents in diagnostic ultrasound technology and
implantable medical devices, and has several journal and conference
publications. He is a member of IEEE Biomedical and Signal Processing
Societies, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation,
and the American Association for Advancement of Science. He is a past
president of AESA and a member of ARPA Board of Directors.
For Information Please call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)586-9660