3D Printing and the Environment: The Implications of Additive Manufacturing

The potential implications of additive manufacturing (AM) have excited the imagination. Popularly known as 3D printing, the emerging class of technologies has been...

Sustainable Production Method Could Advance Plastics and Pharmaceuticals

A team of chemical engineers has developed a new, cost-effective method for synthetically producing a biorenewable platform chemical called triacetic acid lactone...

Advanced Manufacturing Center Focuses on Skills Development

To help deliver a truly sustainable advanced manufacturing workforce pipeline, the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) has begun construction of a new apprentice...

Policy Roadmap Calls for Improved US Competitiveness

The Council on Competitiveness has released its 6th annual Clarion Call for Competitiveness, noting that "innovation-driven productivity is the foundation of a competitive, growing...

Magnet-Based Drug-Delivery System Shows Promise for Cancer Treatment

A team of researchers has developed a noninvasive method of delivering drugs directly to cancerous tissue using magnetic forces, a form of treatment that could...

Smart Gel Could Lead to Development of Living Structures in Organs

A newly created 4D printing method for a smart gel could lead to the development of "living" structures in human organs and tissues, soft robots, and targeted drug delivery.

Machine Learning Could Lead to Diagnoses via Artificial Intelligence

Researchers used machine learning techniques, including natural language processing algorithms, to identify clinical concepts in radiologist reports for CT scans,...

Self-Assembled 'Hairy' Nanoparticles Could Give a Double Punch to Cancer

"Hairy" nanoparticles made with light-sensitive materials that assemble themselves could one day become "nanocarriers," providing doctors a new way to...

Wearables Robotics Lab: Moving Toward Robotic Suits

The next generation of wearable robots will have lightweight parts, can be put on like a suit, and will not require additional support from crutches, according to researchers. The new...

From Sci-Fi to Surgery: New Uses for ‘Floating’ 3D Imagery

A BYU professor and his team have found a way to take the 3D displays of science fiction and make them a reality. A reader asks: Could surgeons use this kind of volumetric display?

Combining Machine and Nanoparticles for Better Transplant Outcomes

A team of experts in rehabilitation robotics used a robotic system — the Tethered Pelvic Assist Device (TPAD) — to study whether or not Parkinson’s disease affects...

Biochemical, Pain-Free Skin Patch Manages Type 2 Diabetes with Microneedles

Researchers have devised an innovative biochemical formula of mineralized compounds that interacts in the bloodstream to regulate blood sugar for days at a time. In a...

Ultrasonic Sensor Allows Amputees to Control Prosthetic Fingers

Researchers have created an ultrasonic sensor that allows amputees to control each of their prosthetic fingers individually. It provides fine motor hand gestures that aren’t...

Plasmonic Biosensors Enable Development of Easy-to-Use Health Tests

A plasmonic biosensor can detect diseased exosomes even by the naked eye. Exosomes, important indicators of health conditions, are cell-derived vesicles that are present in...

Low-Cost, Battery-Powered Reader Diagnoses Jaundice

The first clinical study of a low-cost, handheld jaundice detector shows that saving newborn lives in sub-Saharan Africa is achievable. BiliSpec, a low-cost, battery-powered reader, is...

Dental Material Resists Plaque, Kills Microbes

Researchers have evaluated a new dental material tethered with an antimicrobial compound that not only kills bacteria but also resists biofilm growth. In addition, unlike some drug-infused...

3D Printed Microfibers Could Provide Structure for Artificially Grown Body Part

Much as a frame provides structural support for a house and the chassis provides strength and shape for a car, a team of engineers believe they have a way to create...

3D Printing Creates Super-Soft Structures that Replicate Brain and Lungs

Researchers have developed a new method for creating 3D structures using cryogenics (freezing) and 3D printing techniques. This builds on previous research but is the...

From the Editor – FDA Ushers in a New Era of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

FDA is monitoring the emerging field of 3D printing and additive manufacturing, an area FDA once considered a “futuristic technology on the distant...

Product of the Month

DC Micro Welder Amada Miyachi America, Monrovia, CA, offers a linear DC micro welder paired with an electronic resistance spot welding head. The UB29 also features the company’s Advanced Data Analysis Monitor (ADAM). The...

Force-Sensitive Resistors: Making Medical Devices Easier to Use

For many of us, life is complicated enough without having to be constantly reminded about our medical situations. Living with a disease that requires frequent doctor visits and...

Critical Cooling in Medical Devices – Part 1

Active thermal management is vital in a number of medical device applications including patient core temperature management, skin cooling, medical device cooling, and laboratory equipment cooling....

Package Engineering for Sterilization

After years of research and development, surveys and polls, functional device testing, and countless other preparatory actions, your medical device is almost ready to go to market. You have determined your...

MEG Technology Improves Diagnosis of Epilepsy

Leti, a research institute of CEA Tech, has taken a major step toward development of next-generation magnetoencephalography (MEG) that could significantly reduce the cost of MEG systems and scans,...

New Patch Aims to Turn Energy-Storing Fats into Energy-Burning Fats

A new system combines a new way to deliver drugs, via a micro-needle patch, with drugs that are known to turn energy-storing white fat into energy-burning brown fat. This...

Nanotexturing Creates Bacteria-Killing Spikes on Stainless Steel Surfaces

By using an electrochemical etching process on a common stainless-steel alloy, researchers have created a nanotextured surface that kills bacteria while not harming...

Pre-Engineered Fluid Control: The Next Breakthrough in Dental System Design

A design engineer at a dental equipment company is handed a challenging assignment. The firm’s development team must devise a suite of products that includes a new...

Design Controls: Addressing Changes in ISO 13485

When ISO 9001 was produced by the International Standards Organization, it put forth the general quality standard that organizations could adopt to ensure that the organization is focused on...

Considerations for Specifying Ultra-Engineering Polymers for Extruded Medical Applications – Part 2

With the shift in the medical industry to more minimally invasive, quicker, and more effective procedures, the goal is to minimize patient...