Joel S. Douglas
Joel S. Douglas is an American patent agent and business executive who pioneered the first alternate-site glucose meter used to treat millions of Americans affected by diabetes.[1][2]
Early life and education[edit]
Douglas graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1977 and earned his master's degree in computer science from the University of New Haven in 1982.
LifeScan[edit]
As a program manager at Johnson & Johnson's blood glucose monitoring company, LifeScan, Douglas was part of the team that won the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence in 1995. LifeScan was later purchased for $2.1 billion by the global investment firm Platinum Equity in 2018.
Career[edit]
In 1996, Douglas and Karen Drexler co-founded the diabetes monitoring company Amira Medical Inc. The company was a privately held corporation with about 160 employees. In 2001, Amira Medical was acquired by the Swiss healthcare company Roche for an undisclosed sum.[3]
In 2004, Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI) named Douglas as one of the 100 most notable people in the medical device industry. He is the inventor on 103 patents.
Douglas is a member of the University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers and currently sits on the board of directors for the National Association of Patent Practitioners.[4]
Joel is currently the founder and president of Menlo Park Patents, a patent services provider.
In 2010, Joel and his wife Heidi established the Joel S. and Heidi S. Douglas Engineering Scholarship at the University of Connecticut.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ "Methods and apparatus for expressing body fluid from an incision".
- ^ "100 NOTABLE PEOPLE in the Medical Device Industry". Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "Amira Medical Acquired By Hoffmann-La Roche".
- ^ "University of Connecticut School of Engineering".
- ^ "Douglas Family Establishes Scholarship".