Inventor of the Year

Dr. Michael Bailey and his team, dubbed the Rolling Stones, conduct NIH-funded research on how lithotripsy breaks kidney stones and NASA-funded research on how to mitigate the risk of stones in space. The Rolling Stones team invented a noninvasive way to break stones with sound waves through the skin and then sweep the fragments along, so they wash out with the urine. The team created the technology and a device and measured the clinical benefits in randomized clinical trials. Their invention may be a safer, more effective treatment than surgery and does not have the risks and costs of surgery. More importantly, their invention is a way to treat stones before they cause an emergency department visit or require surgery. The Rolling Stones team also created a spin-off company, SonoMotion. The SonoMotion Stone Clear device has been cleared for sale by the FDA and their Break Wave device, which was given priority review under the FDA Breakthrough program, has delivered promising results during its pivotal trial for clearance. The innovation appears poised for widespread use in humans and veterinary medicine.

Michael Bailey received his B.S. degree in 1991 from Yale University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1994 and 1997 from the University of Texas at Austin, all in mechanical engineering. He is currently a Senior Principal Engineer at the Applied Physics Laboratory and Professor (WOT) of Mechanical Engineering and Adjunct Professor of Urology at the University of Washington. His research interests include cavitation, kidney stone lithotripsy, high intensity focused ultrasound, and ultrasound imaging. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). He served on the Board of the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (ISTU) from 2009 to 2012, the Bioeffects Committee of the American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine from 2006 to 2012, and the ASA Executive Council from 2013 to 2016. He received Early Career Awards from ASA in 2004 and ISTU in 2008.