From the Editor - FDA Releases Draft Guidance for Drug-Delivery Devices

At the end of June, FDA released a draft guidance that is designed to facilitate and streamline development of stand-alone devices and combination products by improving the consistency of drug-delivery performance information included in applications and submissions. Read on to learn more about it.

Enabling CDMO Success Through Intelligent Testing Capabilities

While mechanical testing may play a small role in the total scope of CDMO competencies, a poorly equipped solution can result in significant issues with time management, data integrity, and root cause analysis. Investing in highly capable testing systems should be considered a long-term investment and serve to showcase a commitment to quality for potential clients. Read on to learn more.

Therapeutic Ultrasound: Contactless Drug Delivery and Treatment Enabled by Piezo Transducers

Therapeutic ultrasound opens up numerous new fields of application for the treatment of neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, or cancer diseases. Read on to learn how.

Packaging and Processing: Life Sciences Industry Strives to Become More Sustainable

The pharmaceutical industry’s pivot toward sustainability reflects a broader movement in global business practices where environmental responsibility is not just a choice but a business imperative. Read on to learn more.

How Advanced Drug-Delivery Systems Are Improving Healthcare

Innovative reusable drug-delivery devices are transforming the administration of high-dose biologics by enabling self-administration of challenging drug formulations. These devices support high viscosity and larger injection volumes, enhancing patient comfort and adherence. Read on to learn more.

The Role of Sensors in the Big Picture of Sustainability

In the big picture of medical equipment sustainability, sensors play an important role. That’s right, something so miniature can have quite the impact on maintaining and improving sustainability — from the product design phase to use in equipment in the home. Read on to learn more.

Sensor Packaging: Critical MEMS Considerations

While MEMS sensors are revolutionizing various industries with their precision and miniaturization, they can present unique product development challenges and risks during design, development, and manufacturing. Read on to learn more.

Ultrasound Beam Triggers ‘Nanodroplets’ to Deliver Drugs

What if drug delivery could be targeted at exactly the right spot? This would allow the total dose to be dramatically lower, thus minimizing side effects. Now, U.S. scientists have found a way to perfect a promising, emerging method that does just that. Read on to learn more.

Soft Implantable Polymer Balloon Enables Controlled and Targeted Drug Delivery

In a paper published in Biomaterials Research, a team led by researchers from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology present data on their nonbiodegradable, ultrasoft, and flexible balloon implant for drug delivery. Their findings demonstrate the balloon’s effectiveness in delivering a model drug both in the laboratory setting and in animal models. Read on to learn more.

Shaping the Future of Polymer Nanocarriers

Scientists have taken a significant step toward the development of tailor-made chiral nanocarriers with controllable release properties. These nanocarriers, inspired by nature’s helical molecules like DNA and proteins, hold immense potential for targeted drug delivery and other biomedical applications. Read on to learn more.

Future Medications Could Be Personalized on a 3D Printer

In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first 3D-printed drug, Spritam (levetiracetam), for epilepsy. Several other manufacturers and drug companies are develop.ing their own ones. But the widespread adoption of 3D drug printing will require stringent quality control measures to ensure that people get the right medication and dosage. Read on to learn more about the subject.

Video Spotlight on Products and Services

See which products and services the video spotlight is on, including Dotmatics, an integrated scientific informatics platform that supports research and development activities; an autoinjector testing system featuring precise measurement and control capabilities; BD’s Physiojet disposable autoinjector; testing software that takes over the test sequence with determination of the results; Stevanto Group’s technology centers; and more.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on drug-loaded 3D-printed films that could change cancer treatments forever; one on CELMoDs, which are designed to attack cancer in a novel way, by binding to a regulatory protein called cereblon, which then triggers the degradation of key cancer-driving proteins; one on the bridge recombinase mechanism, a precise and powerful tool to recombine and rearrange DNA in a programmable way; and one on immune cells called regulatory T-cells.

Automating Healthcare: The Role of Robots

How robots are being utilized for tasks in clinics and hospitals, from delivering medications to managing inventory and performing tasks such as taking blood pressure.

The Human Touch: Ethical Considerations in Healthcare Robotics

The ethical implications of integrating robots into healthcare, discussing topics such as patient trust, privacy concerns, and the balance between human and robotic interaction in caregiving.

Space Station Germ Testing Improves Wastewater Monitoring

A technology developed for NASA to identify pathogens inside spacecraft turned out to be beneficial for wastewater surveillance on Earth.

Smart Bandages Improve Chronic Wound Healing

A team of researchers is developing a series of cutting-edge technologies to transform wound care, including smart bandages that would automatically sense and respond to changing conditions...

The Landscape of 3D Printing in Healthcare

The ethical implications of integrating robots into healthcare, discussing topics such as patient trust, privacy concerns, and the balance between human and robotic interaction in caregiving.

ANSI/AAMI ST24 Updated to Reflect Technological Changes

As leaders in the medical device industry seek ways to optimize the application of ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization, it is more important than ever to ensure that medical device...

Making EVs Accessible for All

To address the needs of wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) users in the U.K.’s transition to electric, Motability Operations has revealed eVITA. It’s an accessible and versatile concept electric wheelchair accessible vehicle (eWAV), designed in collaboration with CALLUM.

Vantedge Medical Completes Strategic Acquisition of Hobson & Motzer

Vantedge Medical, a portfolio company of Aterian Investment Partners, has acquired Hobson & Motzer, Inc. Founded in 1912 and based in Connecticut, Hobson is a manufacturer...

Overcoming Challenges in Material Selection for 3D Printed Medical Devices

In this season, we are taking an in-depth look at Printed Health: Transforming Medicine with Advanced Manufacturing, and this episode will focus specifically on...

Microneedle Patch Reverses Alopecia Hair Loss

A novel treatment approach holds promise for painlessly delivering immune regulators to affected areas of the skin, promoting hair regrowth caused by alopecia areata.

Collaborative Robotics Automates Wearable Tech Design

Researchers have developed a machine learning model that eliminates hassles in materials design to yield green technologies used in wearable heaters. The model could automate design...

Regulatory

What government group was formed to study medical devices and recommend legislation, ultimately leading to the 1976 Medical Device Amendments?

Exploring Robotics and Cobots in Medical Device Production

How robotics and cobots are providing increased efficiency and quality in the medical device production process.