Cold Plasma Patch Could Make Immunotherapy More Effective for Treating Melanoma

The patch significantly prolonged survival, inhibited growth of tumors in mice.

Iron Nanorobots Destroy Cancer Cells

Multifunctional iron nanowires selectively obliterate cancer cells with a triple-punch combination attack.

Improving Prosthetics for Upper Limb Amputees

New machine learning algorithms and computational models may provide insight into the mental demand placed on individuals using prosthetics.

Researchers Hope to Make Needle Pricks for Diabetics a Thing of the Past

Patients with diabetes have to test their blood sugar levels several times a day to make sure they are not getting too high or too low. Studies have shown that more than...

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Jenica Kolhoff, Nitinol, Applications Engineer

Kolhoff has established herself as a subject-matter expert for Nitinol, a material that’s still considered exotic by many due to its unique shape memory and superelastic properties.

The Benefits of Tungsten Cable

There is no one-size-fits-all material when producing mechanical cable. The material chosen to produce wire rope can vary from one application to the next, because commonly, no two applications place the same...

Product Focus: Materials

Biomedical Coatings Jaro Corp., Ipswich, MA, Jaro Corp has added the capability to apply an advanced two-component polyurethane coating. Polane 8400 provides a biocompatible, chemically resistant, and durable surface...

Wearable Gas Sensor Enhances Sensitivity

The sensor allows for quick recovery and reuse of the platform.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Kristin Edgerton, Lead Project Engineer

BACKGROUND Kristin has worked at The Lee Company for 11 years. She is a Lead Project Engineer for the Scientific Products Group with a product focus on miniature...

Tiny Magnetics Show Promise for Medical Applications

Small magnetic objects are showing promise in the biomedical field.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Mahsa Nakhjiri, Senior Director of Technical Product Management, Flex

Nakhjiri is a veteran in creating emerging technologies and loves dealing with their ambiguities and challenges.

New Method Detects Defects in 2D Materials

Researchers have developed a technique to quickly and sensitively characterize defects in 2D materials used in sensors and electronics.

Drug Testing with Human Body-on-Chip Systems

A team of scientists has devised a functioning comprehensive multiorgan-on-a-chip platform that enables effective in-vitro-to-in-vivo translation (IVIVT) of human drug pharmacology.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Yolita Wildman Nugent, Director, Advanced Soft Systems Integration, Flex

As the founder of the Soft Systems program at Flex, Yolita brings electronics, smart textiles and computation together to create new products, digital experiences and functionalities through fibers and textiles.

New Products and Services

IoT Prototyping Board Renesas, Tokyo, Japan, has introduced a low-power prototyping board that will simplify and speed up product development for IoT endpoint equipment including healthcare equipment. The RL78/G14...

AI-Analyzed Blood Test Predicts Disease Progression

Scientists used an AI algorithm to analyze the blood and post-mortem brain samples of 1,969 patients with Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease.

Color-Changing Bandages Sense and Treat Bacterial Infections

According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health. Sensing and treating bacterial infections earlier could help improve...

Wearable Health Tech Gets Efficiency Upgrade

The flexible device harvests heats from the human body.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Winnie Yu, PhD, Senior Director of Medical Innovation, Flex - Health Solutions

Yu is passionate about helping customers realize their vision for new products.

From the Editor - The 2019 Products of the Year

In December, we asked Medical Design Briefs readers to cast their ballot to choose from our 12 Products of the Month the technology they felt was the most significant new introduction to the...

Machine Keeps Human Livers Alive for One Week Outside of the Body

Breakthrough may increase the number of available organs for transplantation.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Katie Farley, Kim Jackson, Sue Marchant, Patricia Santos-Serrao & Erin Wright; MasterControl

These leaders are driving innovation and the next generation of MasterControl solutions.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Sarah Charette, Product Manager

Sarah has been with The Lee Company for 9 years and is Product Manager of the Control Valve Group.

Research Zeroing in on Electronic Nose for Diagnosing Disease

The nose measures gases in a patient’s breath.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Dawn F. Massa Stancavish, Chief Innovation Officer & COO

As Chief Innovation Officer, Stancavish brings her keen knowledge of MASSA’s capabilities to new customers and markets.

Engineers Design Bionic ‘Heart’ for Testing Prosthetic Valves, Other Cardiac Devices

The device made of heart tissue and a robotic pumping system beats like the real thing.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Dr. Annette Teng, CEO; Lisa Wen, Process Engineer

Dr. Teng has worked for Promex for over 6 years and is currently the CTO.

Discovery Takes Pressure Off Blood Measurements

The portable blood pressure monitoring device provides data continuously to patients.

Magnetic Sensor Circuits on Various Surfaces

Researchers have developed the world’s thinnest and lightest magnetic sensor matrix sheet system

Portable Device Helps Doctors Diagnose Sepsis Faster

EPFL researchers have developed a highly sensitive and portable optical biosensor that stands to accelerate the diagnosis of fatal conditions like sepsis.

Embedded Computer Computer Vision in Medical Technology: Focus on Mobile and eHealth Devices

Color video technology paired with artificial intelligence holds great development potential for the future optimization of patient care.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Making their Mark in Medical History

This feature presents insights from industry leaders, inventors, entrepreneurs, and those inspiring other women through education.

Ultrasound Helps Make 3D Printed Alloys Stronger

Researchers have used sound vibrations to shake metal alloy grains into tighter formation during 3D printing.

Laser Welding ‘Clear-on-Clear’ Plastics for Medical Applications

Through a new process, it is now possible to laser-weld two optically clear plastic parts made of a wide range of polymer materials for medical applications.

Marubeni Citizen-Cincom Opens New Technical Center

The facility will be used to perform customer test cutting and complete process development requirements.

Digital DHRs: Automating the Last Mile of the Production Process

Many manufacturers still struggle to digitize the “last mile” of their factory floor.

Researchers Develop Ultra-Thin, Ultra-Flexible Electronic Material

Nanothin flexible touchscreens could be printed like newspaper.

Collaboration: A Powerful, Effective Strategy for Medtech Companies Moving to Embrace Industry 4.0 and Drive Digital Transformation

The digital revolution under way in medtech manufacturing will continue to transform the industry into a more connected, efficient, and agile ecosystem.

Hybrid Technique Aims to Produce Stronger, Corrosion-Resistant Nickel

In the process, a high-yield electrodeposition is applied on certain conductive substrates.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Tracy Campbell Accardi, Vice President, Surgical Robotics Research & Development, Medtronic

See what led Accardi to the medical device industry.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Anne F. Booth, Owner/President, Booth Scientific Sterilization and Quality System Professionals

Booth offers advice to other women looking to work in biomedical engineering and science.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Ulkuhan Guler, Assistant Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

"The transition from the design stage of an idea to the test stage is a fantastic feeling," says Guler.

Product of the Month

The 4040/40 formulation includes two LyoTec® stopper designs — 13 and 20 mm — with a versatile universal

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Robyn Meurant, Executive Director, Regulatory Services, IVDs and Medical Devices, NSF International

Meurant shares her most rewarding accomplishment as an engineer in the medical industry.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Ekaterina Tkatchouk, Principal Engineer, Edwards Lifesciences

A chemistry teacher made Tkatchouk believe that any molecule could be created by working hard in the lab.

Leading Women in Engineering & Science: Maryam Zahabi, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University

Zahabi's passion to understand human behavior led her to a career in industrial and systems engineering.

Ask the Expert – Ralph Bright on the Power of Power Cords

Understanding power system components and how to connect them correctly is critical to meeting regulatory requirements and designing successful electrical products for worldwide markets. Interpower’s Ralph Bright defines these requirements and explains how to know which cord to select for your application.

Magnet-Controlled Bioelectronic Implant Could Relieve Pain

Engineers have created the first neural implant that can be both programmed and charged remotely with a magnetic field. Their breakthrough may make possible embedded devices like a...

Breakthrough: Long-Term Heart Valve Developed for Children

A breakthrough design could spare children from repeated operations to replace outgrown valves and could also benefit adults with valve defects. The new design could allow children...

Wearable Brain Stimulation Could Safely Improve Motor Function After Stroke

A noninvasive, wearable, magnetic brain stimulation device could improve motor function in stroke patients. In an initial clinical trial of 30 chronic ischemic...

FDA Suspends Foreign and Domestic Inspections Due to Coronavirus

FDA is postponing most foreign and domestic inspections through April, effective immediately. Inspections outside the U.S. deemed mission-critical will still be considered on a...

Senator Calls for Use of Defense Production Act to Mobilize Manufacturing for Coronavirus Tests

With the country confronting a shortage of both coronavirus test kits and critical medical equipment, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) is calling...

COVID-19: FDA Issues Diagnostic Emergency Use Authorization; Expedites Availability of Diagnostics

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken two additional significant diagnostic actions during the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) by...

COVID-19: FDA Expands Remote Patient Monitoring

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a new guidance to provide a policy to help expand the availability and capability of noninvasive remote monitoring devices to facilitate patient...

Web Industries Adds Manufacturing Capacity for COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests

Web Industries Inc., a precision converter and contract manufacturing organization (CMO), has allocated priority production capacity at its Holliston, MA, plant to support...

FDA Adds More Dates for Town Halls for COVID-19 Test Developers

On Wednesday, March 25, 2020 (3–4 p.m. Eastern), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a virtual Town Hall for clinical laboratories and commercial manufacturers...

Mobile Health Tool Could Diagnose Infectious Diseases

Researchers have designed a tiny portable lab device that plugs into a phone, connecting it automatically to a doctor’s office through a custom app. With a single drop of blood or...

Covid-19 Diagnostic Based on MIT Technology Might Be Tested on Patient Samples Soon

As more Covid-19 cases appear in the United States and around the world, the need for fast, easy-to-use diagnostic tests is becoming ever more pressing. A...

Breakthrough in Coronavirus Research Results in New Map to Support Vaccine Design

Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the National Institutes of Health have made a critical breakthrough toward developing a vaccine for the...

Virtual Roundtable to Focus on Using Precision AM to Fight COVID-19

Nanofabrica, a manufacturer of 3D printers for precision engineering, invites researchers, doctors, and manufacturers to harness its manufacturing capabilities to develop...

Ultrasound Could Facilitate COVID-19 Diagnosis

Researchers have developed an ultrasound diagnostic protocol for COVID-19. The protocol was developed in the laboratories of UniTrento with collaboration from a dozen clinical teams in Italy as a...

COVID-19: FDA Continues to Facilitate Access to Crucial Medical Products, Including Ventilators

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took significant action to help increase the availability of ventilators and accessories, as well as other...

3M Partners with Ford to Help Further Accelerate COVID-19 Response

3M and Ford are collaborating on specific ways the companies can rapidly combine complementary capabilities and resources to help meet a surge in demand for personal protective...

Medtronic Continuing to Increase Ventilator Production to Address COVID-19 Pandemic

Medtronic plc continues to make progress in increasing ventilator production worldwide. The company has increased production by more than 40 percent to date and...

COVID-19: Vesconite Ready to Manufacture Ventilators to Address Pandemic

Polymer bushing and wear material manufacturer Vesconite Bearings is standing by to help manufacture ventilators in case the Coronavirus pandemic spirals. Last week, the...

Philips Ramps Up Production of Critical Health Technology Products in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Royal Philips is increasing the production of certain critical care products and solutions to help diagnose and treat patients with the new...

GM and Ventec Collaborate to Increase Ventilator Production

GM and Ventec Life Systems, in cooperation with StopTheSpread.org, the nation’s coordinated private sector response to COVID-19, are collaborating to enable Ventec to increase...

Abbott Launches Novel Coronavirus Test

Abbott has received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA for its molecular test for the identification of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The company is deploying 150,000 laboratory...

FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Ventilators

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took action May 25, 2020, to make more ventilators available to healthcare personnel in the United States. FDA issued an emergency use...

Engineers Design Ventilator Parts and Face Shields, Donate Medical Supplies

Engineers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are stepping up on several fronts to help regional healthcare providers deal with the coronavirus...

BCN3D Delivers 400 3D Printed Face Shields to Medical Workers, Plans to Print 2,000 More

BCN3D, a manufacturer of 3D printers based in Castelldefels (Barcelona, Spain), has devoted all its technological and manufacturing potential to helping...

Do-It-Yourself Medical Devices, Protective Gear Fuel Battle Against COVID-19

It’s a race against time that some participants liken to Apollo 13, the stricken NASA spacecraft for which engineers improvised an air purification system from...

Hearing Aid Combines AI and Machine Learning to Improve Sound

Danish hearing aid maker Widex has developed a hearing aid that combines the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with two ultra-fast signal pathways to create...

Stratasys Coalition for Face Shield Production With 3D Printing Now Numbers Over 150 Organizations Responding to Pandemic

A coalition of companies and universities assembled by Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) to produce face shields leveraging 3D...

Can Low-Cost, Open-Source Ventilator Designs Help Save Lives?

MIT researchers hope to publish open-source designs for a low-cost respirator that could potentially help Covid-19 patients struggling with critical respiratory problems. The...

FDA Expedites Review of Diagnostic Tests to Combat COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made policy changes to respond to the urgent need for even faster testing availability. Although laboratories could use the EUA pathway,...

COVID-19: New Data Shows Americans Are Concerned About Finances, Job Security

Personal finance company LendEDU has conducted a survey of 1,000 adult Americans in the wake of the Conornavirus pandemic to better understand how the personal...

Racing to Fight COVID-19: UCL, UCLH, and Formula One Develop Life-Saving Breathing Aids

A breathing aid that can help keep Covid-19 patients out of intensive care, adapted by mechanical engineers at UCL and clinicians at UCLH working with...

Purdue Innovators Moving to Fast-Track COVID-19 Diagnostic, Therapeutics

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the U.S. and the world, Purdue University scientists are working to move solutions to diagnose and treat the virus to the...