The “Back” Story
As cardiac device representatives, Jim Collins and Ted Schulte spent years working alongside physicians and lab staff in cath labs nationwide. Day after day, they witnessed the same problem: colleagues ending their shifts with aching shoulders, stiff necks, and chronic back pain from hours under heavy lead aprons. The complaints were universal, and the toll was real—talented professionals considering early retirement or career changes just to escape the pain.
They knew there had to be a better way.
Drawing on their deep understanding of medical device innovation and the daily realities of cath lab work, Jim and Ted set out to solve a problem the industry had simply accepted as inevitable. The result is OrthoVest—a straightforward solution that redistributes lead apron weight from shoulders to hips, protecting the careers and wellbeing of those who spend their lives protecting others.
Necessity, the mother of invention
The solution came to Jim Collins on an Adirondacks trail. As an avid High Peaks hiker, he'd learned the hard way that carrying a 40-pound pack on your shoulders for miles is punishing—but shift that weight to your hips, and you can hike all day. It's basic biomechanics, understood by every serious backpacker.
The realization hit him mid-hike: if this principle works for backpacks, why not for lead aprons?
Ted Schulte, with decades of experience designing and patenting advanced medical devices, helped turn that trail-side epiphany into reality.
Together, they engineered OrthoVest—a lightweight support system that transfers the full weight of a lead apron from shoulders to hips. The difference is immediate: reduced strain, preserved mobility, and relief that lasts through even the longest procedures.
The response from users says it all: "I won't wear lead without it."
Introduction to OrthoVest™ by co-inventor Jim Collins
The Team Behind OrthoVest™
President, Co-Inventor
Jim Collins
Ted Shulte
Co-Inventor