Tarini Prasad Samanta is a Chief Software Engineer with over 20 years of distinguished experience in embedded systems and medical device software development. Based in San Jose, California, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology from Utkal University in Orissa, India, earned in May 2003.
Since May 2014, Tarini has served as Chief Software Engineer at Abbott Labs, formerly St. Jude Medical, where he has made significant contributions to multiple Merlin Programmer projects, including Aveir, Nanostim, Merlin Support, and Remote Care operations. His expertise lies in the design and development of real-time embedded Linux, VRTX, and VxWorks-based medical device applications, as well as iOS-supported medical mobile applications. Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership by serving as the first engineer on projects, independently prototyping solutions, and analyzing design approaches to support critical architectural decisions.
Before joining Abbott Labs as a permanent employee, Tarini spent nearly a decade with iGATE Technologies Inc., formerly Patni Computer Systems, from August 2004 through May 2014, working as a consultant at St. Jude Medical. During this period, he progressed through various roles, from Senior Software Engineer to Technical Specialist, consistently demonstrating technical excellence and leadership. He served as an iGATE Project Lead and onsite coordinator for numerous Merlin Programmer projects, coordinating between onsite and offshore development teams across different geographies. His work included designing and developing shared libraries to simulate VxWorks APIs using Linux system calls, co-designing software installation mechanisms using Red Hat Package Manager, and leading critical system debugging efforts using advanced tools such as Linux Trace Toolkit, Valgrind, and gdb.
A key highlight of Tarini’s career has been his role as Technical Lead in designing and delivering iOS-based medical mobile applications for iPad. He developed complex and secure applications for viewing patient data over the internet, worked extensively with network protocols and security measures, and collaborated closely with regulatory teams to establish submission processes for medical mobile applications. He also contributed significantly to FDA and TÜV submissions. From August 2011 to May 2015, he served as a Technology Consultant Engineer for St. Jude Medical’s Software Technology and Innovation group, where he researched emerging technologies, conceptualized future products, developed prototypes, and created proof-of-concept demonstrations for technology evaluation.
Tarini’s technical proficiency spans multiple programming languages, including C++, C, Shell Script, and Qt Embedded/X11 Graphics. He has deep expertise in embedded Linux environments and various operating systems, including VRTX, Windows, Android, and iOS. He also has extensive experience with hardware platforms such as Raspberry Pi and ARM-based boards and is well-versed in medical device industry standards, including ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 13485:2003.
His strategic vision extends beyond technical implementation to encompass product strategy, project planning, estimation, and scheduling across diverse clients and domains. Throughout his career, he has consistently contributed to process enhancements, led tiger teams for critical issue resolution, and played an instrumental role in team development. His exceptional contributions have earned him recognition, including a Valuable Contribution Award.