2025 Rising Star Awards Winners

SAE Media Group’s Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards program shines the spotlight on trailblazers who not only excel in their respective domains but also stroke the flames of inspiration in others. This year’s awards program features six categories: Aerospace/Defense, Automotive/Transportation, Electronics, Manufacturing/Materials, Medical, and Robotics, Automation and AI. In this special section, you’ll meet the winners in all six categories.

The Power of the Plasma Pen

Plasma pens integrated into production lines provide targeted plasma treatments that reduce failure rates by improving adhesion and bonding in various critical applications. Read on to learn more about their powers.

Shaping the Future: Honoring the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Medtech - Debbie Teodorescu

The 2025 Medical Rising Star Award recognizes Dr. Debbie Teodorescu, a physician-engineer whose career bridges patient care and technology development. Read on for a full interview with her.

From the Editor: Rebuilding Trust in Medical Devices

A recent report from MasterControl delivers a sobering statistic: more than 8 in 10 physicians (82 percent) have questioned the quality or safety of the medical products they prescribe. For medical device engineers and designers, that figure should be a wake-up call. Read on to learn what Editor and Director of Medical Content Sherrie Trigg thinks about the matter.

MD&M Midwest 2025, an MD&M Event

Returning to the Minneapolis Convention Center this October, MD&M Midwest 2025 is where the region’s medtech leaders gather to explore, collaborate, and solve the toughest engineering challenges in medical device development. Read on to learn more about it.

Paper-Based Devices Diagnose Malaria in Asymptomatic People

Devices made with cheap strips of paper have outperformed two other testing methods in detecting malaria infection in asymptomatic people in Ghana — a diagnostic advance that could accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease, researchers say. Read on to learn more.

LED-Based Imaging System Could Transform Cancer Detection

Researchers have developed a prototype imaging system that could significantly improve doctors’ ability to detect cancerous tissue during endoscopic procedures. This approach combines light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with hyperspectral imaging technology to create detailed maps of tissue properties that are invisible to conventional endoscopic cameras. Read on to learn more.

Smart Wound Monitor Poised to Improve Chronic Infection Care

Researchers have developed a wearable wound monitoring device with integrated sensors that could reduce infection risks by minimizing the need for frequent physical contact. The proof-of-concept device is designed for reuse, making it more cost-effective and practical than disposable smart bandages and other emerging wound monitoring technologies. Read on to learn more.

Conductive Polymer Improves Sensor-Based Devices

Scientists have produced a new, powerful electricity-conducting material that could improve wearable technologies, including medical devices. The new technique uses hyaluronic acid applied directly to a gold-plated surface to create a thinner, more durable film, or polymer, used to conduct electricity in devices like biosensors. Read on to learn more.

Bioimaging Device Holds Promise for Eye, Heart Conditions

A new bioimaging device can operate with significantly lower power and in an entirely non-mechanical way. It could one day improve detecting eye and even heart conditions. The device uses a process called electrowetting to change the surface shape of a liquid to perform optical functions. Read on to learn more.

Genetic Testing Device Detects Rare Mutations

Researchers have developed a portable device capable of detecting rare genetic mutations from a single drop of blood. The instrument was shown in lab experiments to quickly and accurately test for a genetic condition called hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, which can cause heart problems. Read on to learn more.

Designing Resilient LSR Supply Chains Through Vertical Integration

As devices grow smaller, smarter, and more user-centered, materials like liquid silicone rubber (LSR) play a bigger role in enabling performance, comfort, and compliance. From implantables to connected wearables, LSR is helping engineers meet growing design and usability demands. Read on to learn more.

No More Lost Sponges: RFID to Optimize Surgical Suite Efficiency and Safety

Retained surgical items are not as rare as many believe. These mistakes are a small but critical piece of the larger challenges of managing the availability and use of a wide range of surgical instruments and other items. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has emerged as one of the most effective tools for solving these challenges. Read on to learn how.

Medical Devices Are Booming — But Can the Supply Chain Keep Up?

While demand surges, so do design and development challenges. Today’s medical devices are not only expected to be smart and connected, but they must also operate flawlessly in high-stakes environments where safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Read on to learn what this means.

SiC Power Delivery for ‘Big Iron’ Medical Devices

SiC MOSFETs can operate efficiently at much higher switching speeds than silicon devices and can withstand high applied voltages as well as high operating temperatures. Read on to learn what this means for "big iron" medical devices.

3D Printed Implant Helps Repair Spinal Cord Injuries

A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a 3D printed implant to deliver electrical stimulation to injured areas of the spinal cord offering a potential new route to repair nerve damage. Read on to learn the details of the 3D-printed implant and how it performs in lab experiments.

At-Home Melanoma Testing with Skin Patch Test

Melanoma testing could one day be done at home with a skin patch and test strip with two lines, similar to COVID-19 home tests, according to University of Michigan researchers. The new silicone patch with star-shaped microneedles, called the ExoPatch, distinguished melanoma from healthy skin in mice. Read on to learn more.

Researchers Develop Ultrasound-Based Wireless Charging Technology for Implantable Medical Devices

A research team led by Prof. Jinho Chang at DGIST has developed an ultrasound-based wireless charging technology capable of rapidly and efficiently charging the batteries of implantable medical devices. The technology has achieved world-class energy efficiency, fully charging a commercial battery within two hours, even inside the human body. Read on to learn more.

Wearable Sensor Could Help Patients with Bipolar Disorder Track Medication Levels Through Sweat

Although lithium is highly effective to treat bipolar disorder, the chemical has a narrow therapeutic window — too high a dose can be toxic to patients, causing kidney damage, thyroid damage, or even death, while too low a dose renders the treatment ineffective. Read on to learn how a wearable sensor may thwart this issue.

New Products & Services

See the new products and services, including EPIGAP OSA Photonics GmbH's surface-mount device (SMD) shortwave infrared (SWIR); Moticont's linear voice coil servo motor; Dart Controls' high-performance pulse width modulation (PWM) controller for 12–48-V battery powered equipment; a compact, fullservice RTD sensor from Burns Engineering; and more.

Product Focus: Fluid Handling/Pumps/Valves

See where the product focus is this month: Fluid handling, pumps, and valves, including Clippard's isolation valves with a hit-and-hold option; Raumedic AG's expanded portfolio of biopharmaceutical transfer tubing; Festo's expanded line of compact grippers; and more.

3D Printed Cardiac Patch Helps Repair Heart Defects

An interdisciplinary research team from ETH Zurich and the University Hospital of Zurich has developed a novel three-dimensional heart patch for intraventricular implantation. Read on to learn more about it.

The New Medtech Frontier

The next phase of medical device innovation will be defined by systems that are not only responsive but also autonomous and personalized. Read on to learn more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Amada Press System’s WH-2A, a 13-axis CNC dual-point coiling machine designed for ultra-fine wire coil processing for medical guidewire formation.

Addressing Material Changes and Safety in Medical Devices

Strategies for assessing risk, streamlining testing, and managing documentation for maintaining product safety.

Six Winners Announced for the 2025 Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards

SAE Media Group announced the winners of its Rising Star Awards: Women in Engineering program today during a live online event attended by participants across the globe.

Minus K to Give Negative-Stiffness Vibration Isolators to U.S. Colleges

Minus K Technology is set to give $25,000 worth of its patented passive mechanical negative-stiffness low-frequency vibration isolators to colleges in the United...

How 3D Printing Is Transforming Medtech

3D printing is transforming the design and production of medical devices. Benefits include creating custom implants, prosthetics, and surgical tools tailored to individual patients, as well as the ability to quickly prototype new devices for testing and development.

Nelson Labs Launches RapidCert™ Biological Indicator (BI) Sterility Testing

Nelson Laboratories, LLC, a business unit of Sotera Health Company and provider of outsourced microbiological and analytical chemistry testing and advisory...

How Much Do You Know About Glucose Monitors?

Your blood sugar levels can tell you a lot about your health: How well your diabetes is under control; how well your diet and exercise regimens are going; and much more. How much do you know about glucose monitors? Find out with this quiz.

Product Launch: Bringing Seamless Connectivity to Medtech Product Development

Enlil, Inc., (Booth 3908) has launched integrations with Bill.com, PTC Onshape, and Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks. As part of Enlil’s unified platform spanning...

Product Launch: Surface-Active Systems for Long-Term Medical Device Performance

BioInteractions (Booth 2906) has launched Surface-Active Systems (SAS), a pioneering new category of high-performance, zero-leaching coating solutions designed...

Product Demonstration: Advanced Joining and Laser Processing Solutions

Amada Weld Tech (Booth 2921) is featuring its advanced, application-focused technologies for medical device production at MD&M. The company’s demonstrations will...

MD&M Midwest Keynote: Advancing Electrophysiology: The Science and Evolution of Pulsed Field Ablation

Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is emerging as a transformative modality in the field of electrophysiology, offering potential for increased...

Product Debut: Junkosha Launches Thin Wall Etched PTFE Liner

Junkosha (Booth 3717) has chosen this year’s MD&M Midwest event to announce a significant advancement in its medical tubing portfolio: the launch of its thin wall etched...

Product Demonstration: Curing Systems for Medical Device Assembly

Excelitas (Booth #3009) will showcase its newest OmniCure® and Fusion UV® curing systems for medical device assembly at MD&M Midwest. Experts are on hand demonstrating...

Panel Discussion: Career Mapping and Growth in the Medtech Industry

It is important to find your footing when taking the next step in your professional journey. This panel of career advancement experts and seasoned professionals will...

MD&M Midwest Keynote: Let’s Break a Leg: Improving 3D Printed Prosthetics

In their keynote, Drew Davis and Eric Nickel explore how the rise of 3D printing and scanning technologies have transformed healthcare. They will talk about how and...

Cadence Earns Silver Medal for Sustainability from EcoVadis

Cadence, Inc., Staunton, VA, has been awarded a silver medal from EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. This marks the first time Cadence...

Smart Device Speeds Wound Healing with Personalized Treatment

As a wound heals, it goes through several stages: clotting to stop bleeding, immune system response, scabbing, and scarring. A wearable device called a-Heal aims to optimize each...

Science

What wearable medical device uses tumor-treating fields delivered through adhesive transducer arrays to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer?