From the Editor — Most Medical Device OEMs Not Ready to Comply with 2020 EU Regulation

Under new rules to market medical devices in the European Union (EU), only 27 percent of respondents said they will be fully compliant with the regulations...

New Silk Materials Can Wrinkle into Detailed Patterns, Then Unwrinkle to Be “Reprinted”

Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have developed silk materials that can wrinkle into highly detailed patterns — including words,...

Microneedle Biosensors Accurately Detect Patient Antibiotic Levels in Real Time

Small, non-invasive patches worn on the skin can accurately detect the levels of medication in a patient’s system, matching the accuracy of current clinical...

Prototype Smartphone App Can Help Parents Detect Early Signs of Eye Disorders in Children

A Baylor University researcher’s prototype smartphone app — designed to help parents detect early signs of various eye diseases in their children such...

Using 24 GHz Doppler Radar Sensors for Noncontact Human Vitals Detection

Health and wellness monitoring is a primary way to manage personal health and awareness for a healthy lifestyle. Many wearable activity tracking devices, smart watches,...

Artificial Skin Creates Ticklish Devices

A new interface takes touch technology to the next level by providing an artificial skin-like membrane for augmenting interactive devices such as phones, wearables, or computers.

Innovations in Orthopedic Elastomers Enhance Durability and Appearance

The history of silicone rubber is synonymous with advancements in medical materials. Silicones, a family of biocompatible elastomers, provide an attractive balance of...

New 3D Printing Technique for Biomaterials

A new technique could be used to print soft biomaterials that could be used to repair defects in the body. The method offers an alternative to existing techniques that use gels that have been...

Kirigami Inspires New Method for Wearable Sensors

Researchers have applied kirigami architectures to graphene, an ultra-thin material, to create sensors suitable for wearable devices. Simulations were done using online software on a...

Implantable Cancer Traps Could Provide Earlier Diagnosis, Help Monitor Treatment

Invasive procedures to biopsy tissue from cancer-tainted organs could be replaced by simply taking samples from a tiny “decoy” implanted just beneath the skin,...

Wearable Trackers Predict Death Risk

A recent study shows that wearable accelerometers — mechanical sensors worn like a watch, belt, or bracelet to track movement — are a more reliable measure of physical activity and better than...

Bioelectronic Implant Could Prevent Opioid Deaths

Researchers are developing a novel, implantable device that can sense the effects of a potentially fatal level of ingested opioids and then automatically and immediately deliver a life-saving...

Effects of Tube Processing on the Fatigue Life of Nitinol: Part 2

The long-term structural integrity of the substrate is critical for the development of medical devices approved for demanding cardiovascular applications such as transcatheter...

Bioresorbable Patch Offers New Alternative for Arterial Healing

When a patient experiences 70 percent or greater stenosis in the carotid artery — a condition that can cause lack of cerebral blood flow, stroke, and in some cases, death —...

Researchers Compare Shape-Memory Alloys

Researchers have compared two copper-based SMAs of the same composition but fabricated differently. After annealing, the samples were cooled at different rates. Then both samples were heated inside...

VR Helps Amputees ‘Feel’ Prosthetic Limbs

Scientists have shown that amputees can actually be convinced that the prosthetic hand belongs to their own body. They do this by going beyond the “seeing is believing” idiom based on...

New Products & Services

Composite Tubing Polygon, Walkerton, IN, has released a high-performance composite tubing for surgical applications. PolyMed® composite tubing is ideal for use in a diverse array of medical applications such as...

Novel Applications of Electrospinning Could Improve Devices

When you visit Andrew Steckl’s lab at the University of Cincinnati, you see a nondescript glass box that weaves together different fibers. He sees endless possibility.

Vote for the 2019 Annual Readers’ Choice Awards

Each month, the editors of Medical Design Briefs choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for MDB's design engineering readers.

Product Focus: Test & Measurement

Hardness Tester L.S. Starrett, Athol, MA, has introduced two new digital Rockwell/Superficial Rockwell benchtop hardness testers with fully automated load/unload procedures and capable of providing highly...

Product of the Month

Ultrasonic Welder Cycle time, changeover, and downtime can be significantly and efficiently reduced with a new ultrasonic welder from Hermann Ultrasonics, Bartlett, IL. The HiQ Dialog offers SoftTouch mode, which prevents...

Producing Better Guides for Medical-Image Analysis

MIT researchers have devised a method that accelerates the process for creating and customizing templates used in medical-image analysis, to guide disease diagnosis.

Soft Wearable Health Monitor Uses Stretchable Electronics

A wireless, wearable monitor built with stretchable electronics could allow comfortable, long-term health monitoring of adults, babies, and small children without concern for skin...

Stretchable and Flexible Biofuel Cell Runs on Sweat

A unique new flexible and stretchable device, worn against the skin and capable of producing electrical energy by transforming the compounds present in sweat, has been developed and patented...

Battery-Free Computer Input Could Be Added to Surgical Gloves

Computer scientists have created a device for wearable computer input suitable for many situations, just by touching your fingertips together in different ways. The device,...

New Coating Prevents Infection in Synthetic Vascular Grafts

A new coating prevents clotting and infection in synthetic vascular grafts, while also accelerating the body’s own process for integrating the grafted vessels. Variants of the...

Vote for Medical Design Briefs Annual Readers’ Choice Awards

Each month, the editors of Medical Design Briefs choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for MDB’s design engineering readers.

Continuous Monitoring Necessary to Reduce Risk in Medtech AI

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are increasingly transforming the healthcare sector. From spotting malignant tumors to reading CT scans and mammograms,...

Machine Learning, Imaging Technique May Boost Colon Cancer Diagnosis

Researchers are developing a new imaging technique that can provide accurate, real-time, computer-aided diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Using deep learning, a type of...

Adding Copper Strengthens 3D Printed Titanium

Successful trials of titanium-copper alloys for 3D printing could kickstart a new range of high-performance alloys for medical device and other applications.

Gibraltar Laboratories Changes Name to Nelson Labs Fairfield

Gibraltar Laboratories will officially become Nelson Labs January 3, 2020. Nelson began implementing changes to facilitate the integration of the Gibraltar labs facilities in...