Factors and Requirements for Adhesive Selection in Medical Devices, Part 1

Part 1 of this article examines adhesive bonding of plastics in medical devices. The set of desired properties for medical-grade adhesives ultimately depends upon the specifics of the application and the kind of sterilization process that will be used. Read on to learn more.

Innovators in Healthcare: Cancer-Fighting Immunotherapy Wins Grand Prize

The 22nd annual Create the Future Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and Mouser Electronics, drew innovative product ideas from engineers and students more than 55 countries from around the world. A competition among the finalists from all categories took place November 15, at which the judges selected NETrolyze: A Novel Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer as the grand prize winner.

2024 Create the Future Design Contest: Medical Grand Prize Winner - NETrolyze

Learn more about the 2024 Create the Future Design Contest Medical Grand Prize Winner: NETrolyze, a Novel Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

2024 Create the Future Design Contest: Medical Category Winner - A Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Management

Learn more about the 2024 Create the Future Design Contest Medical Category Winner: A Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Management.

2024 Create the Future Design Contest: Honorable Mentions

See the honorable mentions from the 2024 Create the Future Design Contest, including the Vivally System, the only FDA-cleared, closed-loop, athome, noninvasive neuromodulation device system; PyrAmes, a digital health company focused on fundamentally transforming healthcare delivery through continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring that is accurate, wireless, and noninvasive; Battelle's platform for the discovery of novel polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) delivery vehicles; and more.

Creating a Fabric-Based Touch Sensor

A recent study combines three-dimensional embroidery techniques with machine learning to create a fabric-based sensor that can control electronic devices through touch. Read on to learn more.

Microdisplay Monitors Brain Activity

A thin film that combines an electrode grid and LEDs can both track and produce a visual representation of the brain’s activity in real time. The device is designed to provide neurosurgeons visual information about a patient’s brain to monitor brain states during surgical interventions to remove brain lesions including tumors and epileptic tissue. Read on to learn more.

Biohybrid Robotic Hand Research Platform

Researchers have developed a novel biohybrid neuroprosthetic research platform comprised of a dexterous artificial hand electrically interfaced with biological neural networks. Read on to learn more.

Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Detection

Researchers have been testing ways to continuously and more comfortably detect these tiny fluctuations in pressure. A prototype smart contact lens measures eye pressure accurately, regardless of temperature. The contact lens wirelessly transmits real-time signals about eye pressure across a wide range of temperatures. Read on to learn more.

High-Efficiency Hollow-Core Fiber Optic Cable

Researchers have designed a six-hole micro-structure antiresonant air-core fiber (AR-HCF) with a large core diameter of 78 μm. The researchers say it is the first time that 2.79 μm high energy pulsed laser has been transmitted with good efficiency at room temperature. Read on to learn more.

New Process Means Faster 3D Printing

Researchers have developed a printing process that prints strong nonmetallic materials in record time — five times faster than traditional 3D printing. The process, called SWOMP, which stands for Selective dual-wavelength Olefin metathesis 3D printing, uses dual-wavelength light, unlike the traditional printing process. Read on to learn more.

High-Powered Lasers: A Call for Fiber Delivery

A new feature of the modern high-powered laser is the need to transmit various wavelengths through fiber optics. Fiber optics have emerged as the primary method for transmitting laser light due to its ease of setup and disconnection. Read on to learn more.

Maximizing the Potential of TPU Extrusion in Medical Tubing Applications

Achieving the best results during TPU extrusion is about choosing the right material and dialing in the process by tackling routine challenges like moisture control, extruder setup, and pressure management. When these details are properly accounted for, OEMs can benefit from a smoother, more consistent extrusion that meets stringent medical device requirements. Read on to learn more.

Precision Robotics Offers Hope for Heart Disease Treatment

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death among young adults. Sans treatment, a heart transplant remains the only curative option for those living with the inherited condition. Now, a research team has developed a robotic technology that allows scientists to test numerous potential therapeutics, simultaneously, in this condition for the first time.

Device Shows Promise for Noninvasive Treatment of Chronic Pain

Researchers at the University of Utah’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine have published promising findings about an experimental therapy that has given many participants pain relief after a single treatment session. Read on to learn more.

Solvent-Free 3D Printing Material Could Enable Biodegradable Implants

In a paper published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, researchers at Duke University have invented a new solvent-free polymer for DLP printing. Besides eliminating the shrinkage problem, the lack of solvent also results in improved mechanical properties of the part while maintaining the ability to degrade in the body. Read on to learn more.

Lifesaving Spongelike ‘Bandage’ Rapidly Stops Hemorrhaging

Without proper medical invention, injuries sustained from traffic collisions, serious workplace accidents, or weapons may result in fatal hemorrhaging. UCF researchers aim to prevent such bleeding in potentially deadly situations with a new hemostatic spongelike bandage with antimicrobial efficacy. Read on to learn more.

Bioelectronic Device Offers New Hope in the Fight Against Bacterial Infections

Researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California – San Diego have made an exciting breakthrough in the battle against bacterial infections. The labs have developed a cutting-edge bioelectronic device that taps into the natural electrical activity of certain bacteria found on our skin, paving the way for a drug-free approach to managing infections. Read on to learn more.

Medical Podcasts

Listen to some medical podcasts, including one on the transformative journey of drug-delivery devices; one on the drug-delivery innovations that will shape the landscape of drug delivery and improve therapeutic outcomes for patients in the future; one on pens and autoinjectors as drug-delivery options; and one on designing drug-delivery pumps, and, particularly, the drive assembly of modern drug pumps.

Contract Manufacturing: Accelerating Product Development

The expertise of CDMs that have dedicated space for innovation are focused on accelerated development cycles, DfM, and the optimal application of materials science for their OEM partners. Read on to learn more.

Product Showcase

See the product showcase, which includes Accumold All-Plastic Molded Cannula technology; Arnold Magnetic Technologies' thin metals and flexible composite solutions; the OmniCure® S2000 Elite; Omnetics’ Nano-D connectors; the Lee Company’s Full Isolation Dual Seal Precision Dispense Pump; and much more.

From the Editor - FDA’s Final Rule on LDTs Raises Concerns for Personalized Medicine

Hear directly from Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content, about the FDA's final ruling on LDTs and why that is raising concern.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on how MicroLumen engineers develop tubing that ensures precision and reliability in medical device applications; one on Carnegie Mellon University and the Mayo Clinic teaming up in the Transforming Transplant Initiative; one on a fully digital design-to-manufacturing process that has the potential to revolutionize lower limb socket production; and one on a new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a much wider range of materials.

Advancing Implantable Medical Device Reliability with Enhanced Laser Joining Technology

Laser joining is essential for creating reliable, high-performance implantable medical devices that enhance patient safety and device longevity. The precise control and reproducibility offered by laser joining, particularly through keyhole management, ensures strong, clean joints with minimal heat affected zones. Read on to learn more.

Children’s National, FDA Collaborate to Advance Pediatric Device Regulatory Tools

In a significant collaboration to help advance pediatric health, Children’s National Hospital and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of...

Wearable Ultrasound Tech Monitors Muscles

A wearable ultrasound device can provide long-term, wireless monitoring of muscle activity with potential applications in healthcare and human-machine interfaces. Designed to stick to the skin with...

The Rise of Advanced Sensor Technologies

How sensors are reshaping the landscape of medical diagnostics, enabling quicker and more accurate health assessments.

Bioinspired Capsule Pump Drugs into Walls of GI Tract

Researchers have developed an ingestible capsule that releases a burst of drugs directly into the wall of the stomach or other organs of the digestive tract. This capsule could offer an...

Drug-Delivery System Reduces Chemo Side Effects

To prevent hearing damage during cancer treatment, researchers have developed a novel drug-delivery system that transports medications to the inner ear. The researchers wanted to create a...

Imaging

What medical device, invented in 1895 and often used in holiday-related injuries like falling from ladders while decorating for the holidays, was first publicly demonstrated just days before Christmas?

Fort Wayne Metals Expands Nitinol Melting Capabilities

Fort Wayne Metals, a developer of precision materials for the medical device industry, has expanded its nitinol melting capabilities. The company doubled its melted Nitinol output from...

Implantable Sensors for Internal Health Monitoring

The advent of implantable sensor technologies has had a transformative impact on internal health monitoring. This episode looks into the advancements that allow for continuous, real-time data collection from within the human body, revolutionizing patient care and treatment strategies.