Impulse Dynamics International

Team

Stefan Thamasett , MD, MBA – Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Dr. Thamasett is an experienced and accomplished Senior Executive in the medical device industry. His 13 years of progressively increasing responsibilities in this field have included successfully managing a worldwide acting VAD company as the CEO as well as several leading positions in sales marketing and clinical before. After studying medicine he worked for over 7 years as an interventional electrophysiologist before starting his carrier in the industry. He holds an MD degree from University of Ulm and an MBA from the European School of Business at the University of Reutlingen.

Yuval Hay Mika, D.Sc- Chief Scientist
Dr. Mika has been part of the Impulse Dynamics team since its inception in 1996, serving as Chief Scientist and responsible for all research activity. In this position Dr. Mika was responsible for developing the technology from the initial concept and first experiments to today’s established product. In 2001 he was appointed General Manager of Impulse Dynamics (Israel) and in 2005 he accepted the role of Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he spent two years as a researcher at the University of California. Dr. Mika holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, Israel, as well as a Doctor of Science in Medical Research, acquired at the Faculty of Medicine of the Technion, Israel.

Amir Cohen, MA – Chief Financial Officer
Mr Cohen  has more than 20 years of experience in Israeli and multinational companies and has held CFO and COO positions in the medical device and cleantech industries. Prior to joining Metacure in March 2009, Amir was CFO at Atlantium, an Israeli private company in the cleantech market. Prior to this position Amir was CFO at Medical Compression Systems (D.B.N), an Israeli company traded on the TASE. He has led efforts such as an IPO on the German stock exchange, M&A and spin-off, cost reduction, capacity extension through efficiency increases, and more. Amir holds an M.A. in Economics from the Hebrew University, a B.A. in Economics and Statistics (Honors) from the Ben-Gurion University.

Daniel Burkhoff MD, PhD – Vice President and Medical Director
Dr. Burkhoff has been with Impulse Dynamics for the last 11 years, and is one of the leaders of the design of the Company’s technology and clinical trials in the US and Europe. Dr. Burkhoff holds a degree in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University and Medical and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from The Johns Hopkins University. After completing a residency in Internal Medicine, Dr. Burkhoff completed a Fellowship in Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 1992, he established a cardiac physiology research laboratory at Columbia University, which conducted basic and translational research in the fields of heart failure and angiogenesis. He currently retains a position of Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University. Dr Burkhoff is published widely in the field of heart failure and medical devices.

David Prutchi, PhD – Executive Vice President, Product Development
Dr. Prutchi joined Impulse Dynamics in 1998. Prior to joining the Company, he worked at Sulzer-Intermedics Inc. where he was responsible for Bradycardia Advanced Technology Development and led the design and development of Intermedics’ next-generation implantable cardiac pacemaker.Dr. Prutchi has over twenty years of experience in biomedical R&D, and medical electronic instrumentation design and management. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering, a B.Sc. in Exact Sciences and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering, all from Tel-Aviv University. Dr. Prutchi conducted Post-Doctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also served as a lecturer. He has published over thirty papers and holds close to seventy patents in the field of active implantable medical devices. He is the author of the book “Design and Development of Medical Electronic Instrumentation – A Practical Perspective of the Design, Construction and Test of Medical Devices” published by John Wiley & Sons.

Gina Crossetta – Vice President RA/Quality Systems
Ms. Crossetta joined Impulse Dynamics (USA) as Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance in 2004. Ms. Crossetta has over 15 years of experience with cardiovascular medical device companies. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Crossetta spent ten years at the Interventional Products Division of Datascope Corp., most recently serving as Vice President of Regulatory and Clinical Affairs and Quality Assurance. Previously, she spent 10 years working as a paralegal in the areas of reinsurance and medical malpractice litigation. Ms. Crossetta holds a BA from The State University of New York at Albany.

Benny Rousso, Ph.D. – Vice President of R&D, Intellectual Property and, General Manager ID Israel
Dr. Rousso joined Impulse in 1998, and currently heads the company’s research activities and the company’s intellectual property. He is managing the Israeli center since 2005, and responsible for the company’s sales in markets operated through distributors and sales agents. Dr. Rousso has over 20 years of technological and business experience, including managing developments of various telecom and biomedical technologies, and as a co-founder and board member of biomedical companies. Dr. Rousso holds academic degrees in computer sciences (PhD), as well as in mathematics and physics (cum laude) from the Hebrew University, Israel. He has graduated with honors from the prestigious Talpiot program and completed over an 8-year career at an elite research and development division of the Israel Defense Forces, where he managed various R&D activities. Dr. Rousso is a co-inventor of over 120 patents and patent applications and is a co-author of over 20 publications.

Matthias Vogt, Dipl.-Ing., MBA – Director European Operations
Mr. Vogt joined Impulse Dynamics in 2002 serving as a Field Clinical Engineer . In 2006 he was nominated Manager of European Operations. Mr. Vogt has 20 years of experience in product management, sales, reimbursement and clinical studies with active and non-active implantable medical products. He started his career in 1991 as Product Manager with Howmedica. In 1995 he switched to Medtronic and became Market Development Manager for the Interstim Project and later Therapy Development and Heart Failure Manager in the Cardiac Rhythm Management Division. Mr. Vogt holds a degree in medical device technology engineering (Technical College of Wilhelmshaven), as well as a degree in Health Economics (ebs) and  an MBA, both from the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel. He is a certified Pharmaceutical Consultant (B.A.Z. Hamburg).

Dietmar Schnell – Director of Sales Germany
Mr. Schnell has 27 years of experience in sales of medical products. His latest position was with Medtronic Ltd. in Düsseldorf, where he was a field representative for pacemakers and subsequently Regional Sales Manager. He previously worked for various medical product companies in physiotherapy, monitoring and ergometry as well as surgical consumables. Mr. Schnell holds a degree from the National Academy for Medical Technology.