Avery Laboratories (now Avery Biomedical Devices) was founded by others in 1969 and acquired by William H. Dobelle in 1983 when he turned his focus to the commercial applications of artificial implant devices and to the development and refinement of ever more useful artificial vision devices.

This company has been a pioneer in the manufacture and distribution of permanently implanted electronics for the stimulation of the human brain and central nervous system, which have been implanted in approximately 15,000 patients in more than 40 countries. Avery Laboratories was a founding member of the Health Industry Manufacturers Association, a 300 member trade association whose affiliates produce more than 90% of the diagnostic and medical equipment manufactured in the United States. Avery Laboratories was also a founding member, and Dobelle was a Board member, of Medmarc, Ltd., which is an acknowledged leader providing product liability insurance to medical device manufacturers.

Dobelle financed his transition from academia to industry by organizing companies that developed a revolutionary family of large sail assisted catamarans for commercial and recreational purposes, a number of which remain in service in the Caribbean.