A Career in Medical Innovation: 

Advancing Patient Care from Orthopedics to Interventional Pulmonology

Lawrence Gerrans professional life chronicles a career dedicated to the advancement of medical technology, tracing a path through some of the most transformative decades in surgical history. The focus has consistently been on collaborating with brilliant minds in medicine and engineering to develop and introduce technologies that have redefined standards of care, improved patient outcomes, and in many cases, created entirely new fields of minimally invasive surgery.

DePuy Orthopedics, a Johnson & Johnson Company: The Foundation in Joint Reconstruction

Early in his career, at DePuy Orthopedics, Mr. Gerrans had the opportunity to immerse himself in the rapidly evolving world of orthopedic surgery. At a time when joint replacement was coming of age, he worked in close collaboration with surgeons and their surgical teams, providing technical expertise for foundational implant systems like the Charnley™ Total Hip and the LCS™ Total Knee. This role involved deep engagement in the entire surgical process, from pre-operative planning and radiographic analysis to providing intra-operative guidance on instrumentation and implantation techniques that were critical for success.

Historical Context & Impact: In the late 20th century, total joint arthroplasty was transforming from a high-risk procedure into a reliable solution for debilitating arthritis. Mr. Gerrans was part of the generation that helped refine and advance this life-changing surgery. He contributed to the launch of numerous next-generation systems (including the AML™, Prodigy™, and LCS™ with Rotating Platform) that improved implant longevity and patient mobility.

A notable contribution from this period was a pioneering, and at the time controversial, initiative with Peter Giovan, MD. In a market dominated by a single competitor, they launched one of the industry's first direct-to-patient educational campaigns. The goal was to empower patients with information about the clinical advantages of DePuy’s technology. Though the program was initially halted amidst industry debate, it presaged a fundamental shift in healthcare. Today, direct-to-patient education is a standard practice, fostering informed consent and giving patients a more active role in their healthcare decisions.

His work also extended into the nascent field of sports medicine. He was part of the teams that introduced innovations that would become industry standards, such as the first comprehensive titanium trauma system and the groundbreaking Global™ Total Shoulder System. He helped launch early arthroscopic technologies for ligament repair, including the Restore™ ACL System and the first-of-its-kind cannulated Kurosaka™ ACL Screw. This era marked a critical transition toward arthroscopic, minimally invasive techniques, laying the groundwork for the modern specialty of Sports Medicine, which has since allowed millions of athletes and active individuals to return to their passions. The collective success and groundbreaking innovations from the DePuy team during this period culminated in Johnson & Johnson's acquisition of the company, a landmark event in the orthopedic industry.

Stryker Endoscopy: Pioneering the Digital Age of Minimally Invasive Surgery

Joining Stryker’s new Endoscopy Division in Silicon Valley during the 1990s placed Mr. Gerrans at the intersection of information technology and surgery. This was a pivotal moment when advances in microelectronics, fiber optics, and digital imaging were beginning to revolutionize the operating room.

Historical Context & Impact: The proliferation of new endoscopic equipment for minimally invasive surgery created a new challenge: cluttered, inefficient, and ergonomically challenging operating rooms. Recognizing this, Mr. Gerrans was part of a collaborative effort with the renowned design firm IDEO and Tenet Healthcare to fundamentally rethink the surgical environment. This work led to the creation of the world's first integrated "digital operating room," the EndoSuite™. This concept, which centralized control of imaging, lighting, and surgical devices, revolutionized hospital construction and surgical workflow, becoming a multi-billion-dollar global standard that enhances safety and efficiency in hospitals everywhere.

He furthered this integration by identifying the potential of the Hermes™ voice-activation technology, which was then part of an early surgical robotics system. He championed its integration into Stryker’s platform, giving surgeons hands-free control over their equipment—a major leap in ergonomics and focus during complex procedures. This strategic integration was a key factor that propelled Stryker to its longstanding position as the world's leading endoscopic technology company.

Drawing upon his orthopedic background, Mr. Gerrans, alongside colleagues Alan Smoot and pioneering surgeons Dr. James Glick and Dr. Thomas Sampson, recognized an unmet need for "hip preservation." By adapting existing endoscopic tools, the team helped pioneer the field of hip arthroscopy. This created an entirely new, minimally invasive treatment paradigm, allowing millions of patients to find relief from debilitating hip pain and potentially delay or avoid total hip replacement surgery.

This spirit of innovation extended to finding novel applications for existing technologies. A particularly profound application involved using the Infravision™ infrared catheter at UCSF Children's Hospital with Dr. Olajire Idowu. This technology was adapted to assist in the single-procedure repair of anorectal malformations (ARMs) in newborns, a rare and complex congenital defect. This compassionate use of technology spared infants from multiple, painful surgeries during their first years of life, demonstrating the profound human impact of technological ingenuity.

Smith & Nephew: Refining Technology and Integrating Hospital-Wide Systems

Recruited by Smith & Nephew, Mr. Gerrans was tasked with integrating new technologies and expanding the company's market presence. A key project involved the acquisition of Oratec™, a company with novel radiofrequency (RF) technology.

Historical Context & Impact: Rather than simply market an acquired technology, he initiated a foundational scientific study with physicists and doctors at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This deep dive into the physics of RF energy established the scientific parameters for its safe and effective use in modifying soft tissues, such as shrinking lax shoulder ligaments or treating damaged cartilage. This foundational work underpins the clinical protocols used today in a multi-billion-dollar market, ensuring that energy-based surgical devices deliver therapeutic effects predictably and safely.

He continued to advance the "Digital O.R." concept, working to integrate disparate systems into a cohesive whole. This work culminated in the development of the "Integration Broker," an open-source solution that allowed all operating room data to flow seamlessly into the hospital's central Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). This was a major breakthrough in patient data management, enhancing compliance, reducing costs, and streamlining medical records and billing for healthcare systems. His expertise was sought by Kaiser Permanente to help architect their standardized "O.R. 2000" template, a design foundation that continues to be used in their hospital construction projects today.

Globus Medical: New Frontiers in Spine Care

 At the start-up Globus Medical, Mr. Gerrans contributed to business development and the commercialization of next-generation spinal implants. During this time, Mr. Gerrans work with the XPand™ Corpectomy Spacer, a device used for patients whose lung cancer had metastasized to the spine, deepened his commitment to addressing the challenges of pulmonary disease. 

SORIN GROUP: New Frontiers in Cardiac Surgery

At the Sorin Group (now LivaNova™), Mr. Gerrans was involved in the early, formative stages of minimally invasive thoracic surgery and heart valve technology, a field that would eventually mature into the revolutionary procedure known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Sanovas: Healing Vessels in the Body’s Most Challenging Environment

After years of dedicated investigation into pulmonary anatomy, Mr. Gerrans co-founded Sanovas in 2009. Mr. Gerrans derived Sanovas name from the Latin verb sano ('to heal') and the Latin noun vas ('vessel'), which reflected Mr. Gerrans core mission for Sanovas: "To Heal Vessels." The initial focus was on developing technologies to diagnose and treat diseases in the lungs—arguably the most challenging environment for intervention in the human body.

Historical Context & Impact: Operating within the lungs presents unique and formidable challenges. The Lungs are the only organ system in the body which cannot be turned off to operate on. The anatomy is in constant motion, visibility is often obscured, and the delicate, small-caliber airways demand unprecedented levels of miniaturization and engineering sophistication. The process of solving these challenges led to a breakthrough realization: the ultra-miniaturized technologies developed for the lungs were applicable to countless other delicate anatomical structures throughout the body.

This insight prompted a strategic expansion of Sanovas' mission. The company evolved from a single-focus entity into a life sciences accelerator, designed to develop and commercialize portfolios of technology aimed at accessing, imaging, measuring, diagnosing and treating cancers and diseases within the small diameter vessels across multiple organ systems. This model fosters focused innovation, enabling dedicated teams to bring revolutionary, minimally invasive solutions to patients in need. 

Mr. Gerrans expanded his Patent Portfolio and structured Joint Ventures with esteemed Clinicians, Scientists and Engineers at renowned Medical Institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Stanford, Cleveland Clinic, UCSF, UCLA, the University of Saskatchewan, and the Second Military Hospital of China, Shanghai. Mr. Gerrans then incorporated these Patents and Joint Ventures under the Umbrella of Sanovas, Inc. to strengthen his model of Equity Crowd Funding by diversifying and expanding his shareholders value across 28 Subsidiary Companies, which featured over 35 New Interventional Procedures, built upon 250+ Multi-National Patents and Trademarks, that created over 384 unique products. 

Mr. Gerrans innovations in Medicine, Finance, and Corporate Structure have been transformative and disruptive to the established paradigms, eco-systems and entrenched competitive interests and powers in Big Money, Dark Pharma, and Deep State Big Government.