Our story…

Having experienced several corporate take-overs, mergers and general restructuring initiatives as part of working in medical device departments of large global pharmaceutical companies, we have been intimately involved with many different ways of running a medical device project and the many different activities which take place.

Over the years, many of the conversations we’ve had with clients pointed towards a muddled and confused picture of what is needed to deliver a medical device to the market. So, to make sense of the disciplines and activities need to progress alongside each other, we created a Development Route Map.

We know that device development isn’t easy, but often times it can be made a lot easier with clear strategy setting and good communication. Our clients say that our support, aligned with our Development Route Map, helps them achieve just that.

We created Three Circles to help organisations find, and navigate, the best paths through development.

Matthew and Fiona, the directors of Three Circles, are supported by a team of specialists in their fields, all used to working in regulated environments.

Projects Come in All Shapes & Sizes

We have been involved in both “fast track” projects lasting a couple of years and long-term, shifting goal-post projects, including one that lived for over 18 years! In that time we have seen both good and bad ways of developing a medical device.

Some of the most commonly encountered frustrations we have experienced have come from the huge losses in time, material and budget caused by teams skipping through the early stages of development or not phasing activities appropriately.

Activities which are intricate and involved, such as developing the formulation alongside the device, or developing the device assembly process based on shifting device designs, need to follow a clear strategy and progress at an even pace. Often there is an almost unstoppable drive to finalise a device design before most of the early stage or process interactions have been tested. In our experience this often means discovering at a late stage that fundamental issues exist with the product design; usability issues or mechanical failures; the manufacturing process is not sufficiently robust to hold tight tolerances; or there is poor device/drug interaction which causes unacceptable performance.