Analyst Deborah Schenberger, Ph.D., brings 18 years of industry and academic experience and insight to medical device companies, particularly those developing implants, to help them to achieve product approval through the FDA, ISO, and CE registration processes. She analyzes mechanical devices and machines, assessing mechanisms for novelty by working across industries to find other applications that may help provide design solutions.
Before joining Nerac, Dr. Schenberger was a research scientist and teaching professor in bioengineering at University of the Pacific, where she had earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. As a graduate student at the University of California at Davis, where she earned her Ph.D., she studied micro-fabricated sensor development for spinal fusion applications and was a teaching assistant in the Human Anatomy Lab. As part of her dissertation, Dr. Schenberger designed and patented a biomedical sensor for measuring the onset of spinal fusion. She was an engineering manager at Synvasive Technology, where she designed medical devices for the orthopedic industry. At Ortho Development Corp., she was a product development manager, designing orthopedic implants and instruments. She also spent several years designing mechanical systems with controls for NASA, and later for an entertainment robotics application. She is well-versed in patents and intellectual property, bioinstrumentation, MEMS, biomedical sensors, and nanotechnology.
Dr. Schenberger was section chair for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for 2007-08, and is also a member of the American Society of Biological and Agricultural Engineers (ASABE), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), and the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE). She has presented at forums including the Institute of Biological Engineering Annual Meeting, the 24th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium at NASA, John F. Kennedy Space Center, and Society of Women Engineers International Conference.
Credentials
- Ph.D., Biological Systems Engineering, University of California at Davis
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of the Pacific
- Section Chair, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Member, American Society of Biological and Agricultural Engineers (ASABE)
- Member, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
- Member, Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE)
Publications
- Schenberger, D, “Patents in fiber-optic sensing”, SPIE Newsroom. February 17, 2009
- Bafan, M, Prsha, J and Schenberger, D, “Convergence, Collaboration, Commercialization: Tomorrow’s healthcare marketplace will belong to companies that can collaborate effectively to produce next-generation combination products” MX Magazine. November/December 2008
- Lloyd, S, Mayott, CW, Schenberger, D, De Fazio, P and Burke, J, ”Challenges to International Device Reimbursement: Manufacturers must prepare themselves with a thorough understanding of international nuance”, MD&DI magazine. August 2008
- Bafan, M and Schenberger, D, “Bioceramics: The Future of Joint Healing:, MedTech Precision, http://www.devicelink.com/mtprecision/archive/08/04/008.html, April, 2008
- Owen, D with cited information from Schenberger, D, “Future Technologies in Joint Replacement”, Consumers Digest, April 2008
- Schenberger, D, “Perspectives: Metal in Healthcare”, MDT Medical Design Technology, www.mdtmag.com, 12:2, p. 12, February 2008
- Schenberger, D, “Movies Raise the Curtain on Digital Cinema Projectors” SPIE International Society of Optical Engineering online journal, http://spie.org/x19370.xml?highlight=x2410, January 2008
- Schenberger, D, “Mainstreaming MEMS: Microfluidic Drug Delivery Systems are Now a Market Reality, A Patent and Marketplace Review”, Nerac Marketplace Review, http://www.nerac.com/nerac_insights.php?category=articles&id=250 and http://ezinearticles.com ID 738917, September 2007
- Schenberger, D, “Spinal Fusion Strain Analysis”, Abstract for Orthopaedic Research Lab, University of California at Davis, 2004
- Schenberger, D, “Wind Tunnel Testing for the SOFIA Project”, In Proceedings of the 1994 Society of Women Engineers International Conference, October, 1994
- Schenberger, D, “Wind Tunnel Testing for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy”, NASA Technical Reports Server. Document ID 20010114136, November 1994
- Schenberger, D, “Cycle Life Machine for AX5 Spacesuit” In Proceedings of the 1990 Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium, NASA, Technical Reports Server, Document ID 19900012764, May, 1990
Presentations
- Schenberger, D, “Putting a Charge in Healing: Electrical Stimulators Show Great Promise, Especially for Spinal Fusion,” ASME Frontiers in Biomedical Devices Conference presentation, Irvine, CA, June 18-20, 2008
- Schenberger, D, “Mainstreaming MEMS: Microfluidic Drug Delivery Systems are Now a Market Reality, A Patent and Marketplace Review,” Institute of Biological Engineering Annual Meeting presentation, Chapel Hill, N.C., March 6-9, 2008
- Schenberger, D, “Design of MEMS Sensor System,” Presentation for the Institute of Biological Engineering Annual Meeting, March 2006
Patents
- Ikeyama, M and Schenberger, D, “IC Chip to PC Board Connector System,” U.S. Patent No. 5288238 (Also patented in Japan) February 22, 1994.
- Gupta, M, Schenberger, D, Ramahi, A and Lee, E, “Measurement of Spinal Fusion Using Strain and Radio Frequency Transmission,” Provisional Patent Serial No. 60/586,593. July 8, 2004
- Gupta, M and Schenberger, D, “Strain Monitoring System and Apparatus,” Patent Application 11/620973. Also filed as 01773186/EP-A2 (Europe) and 2006010037/WO-A2 (Japan) July 8, 2005
