Michael Seres, an influential patient who hacked together a ‘smart’ ostomy bag, dies at 51

Michael Seres, an entrepreneur, patient advocate, husband and father of three, died on Saturday in Orange County, California, of a sepsis infection. He was 51. 

Seres was widely considered to be one of the first and most prominent “e-patients,” a term which has become popular to denote patients who are informed and engaged in their health, often sharing their experiences online. He is also one of a small number of patient inventors who helped design and build a medical device – a digitally enhanced ostomy bag – that got FDA clearance in 2014. His invention eased the suffering of millions of people with bowel injuries, chronic gut illnesses and cancer.

Source: CNBC, 2 June 2020

Read more about Michael and his innovative patient work in our hub blog