Jun 3, 2026 · 39 min · 14 segments
**What if one of pediatrics' most common emergency procedures hasn't meaningfully evolved in over a century?** **In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, we sit down with Bob Cooper, CEO of SMoLTAP, to…
Bob CooperGuestTom HickeyHostToday we're joined by Bob Cooper, CEO of SmallTap, the company behind a breakthrough in infant procedural care, an innovative device designed to improve success rate and patient experiences for infant lumbar punctures, sometimes called spinal taps.
SmallTap's positioning cradle secures infants in a consistent seated posture that enhances procedural accuracy and reduces the physical strain on clinical teams.
Traditionally, infant lumbar punctures had high failure rates because physical restraint and positioning were inconsistent, requiring multiple staff, and risking repeat procedures.
But early data and clinical experience show that the small tap cradle enables higher success rates without sedation, streamlines workflow, and reduces stress for clinicians, families, and the infant alike.
Bob is a seasoned C-suite executive with decades of leadership experience, now applying his strategic vision to pediatric medical innovation and commercialization.
So tell us something fun or interesting about yourself or your family so we can get to know you a little better.
Well, probably the funniest part of my background, I've been an entrepreneur my entire life.
We ended up getting into literally hundreds of McDonald's and Burger Kings and a bunch of different restaurants managing their energy.
And then... through a couple of different phases, I ended up doing things like I was a CEO of Bode Miller's ski company for a number of years.
And I've done all sorts of interesting things and I've seen that in this space, in the medical device space, we've kind of pulled a lot of ideas and concepts about customer acquisition and marketing and how to position products.
For me, the real focus of business is really making certain that we're listening to the customer, addressing a need.
And the thing about this product and this company is really, you know, it's taking care of those important little ones.
Today we're joined by Bob Cooper, CEO of SmallTap, the company behind a breakthrough in infant procedural care, an innovative device designed to improve success rate and patient experiences for infant lumbar punctures, sometimes called spinal taps.
SmallTap's positioning cradle secures infants in a consistent seated posture that enhances procedural accuracy and reduces the physical strain on clinical teams.
Traditionally, infant lumbar punctures had high failure rates because physical restraint and positioning were inconsistent, requiring multiple staff, and risking repeat procedures.
But early data and clinical experience show that the small tap cradle enables higher success rates without sedation, streamlines workflow, and reduces stress for clinicians, families, and the infant alike.
Bob is a seasoned C-suite executive with decades of leadership experience, now applying his strategic vision to pediatric medical innovation and commercialization.
So tell us something fun or interesting about yourself or your family so we can get to know you a little better.
Well, probably the funniest part of my background, I've been an entrepreneur my entire life.
We ended up getting into literally hundreds of McDonald's and Burger Kings and a bunch of different restaurants managing their energy.
And then... through a couple of different phases, I ended up doing things like I was a CEO of Bode Miller's ski company for a number of years.
And I've done all sorts of interesting things and I've seen that in this space, in the medical device space, we've kind of pulled a lot of ideas and concepts about customer acquisition and marketing and how to position products.
For me, the real focus of business is really making certain that we're listening to the customer, addressing a need.
And the thing about this product and this company is really, you know, it's taking care of those important little ones.
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