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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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-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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

Drug Delivery

November is national diabetes awareness month. What was the first so-called artificial pancreas approved for commercial use in the United States?

2024 Product of the Year

Voting for Medical Design Briefs’ 30th Annual Readers’ Choice Product of the Year Awards is now closed.

Miniature Robots Can Navigate Through 3D Matrix

Scientists have developed a way to deploy magnetic miniature robots through a 3D matrix resembling a network of blood vessels. This new method could one day enable the simultaneous treatment...

Implantable Device Prevents Death from Opioid Overdose

Researchers have developed a device that may rescue people from overdose without bystander help. In animal studies, the researchers found that the implantable device detects an...

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Advanced Energy's series of high-isolation, low-leakage current AC-DC power supplies that enable medical equipment designers to meet the cardiac floating requirements of the IEC 60601-1 medical safety standard using off-the-shelf products. Read on to learn more.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on advanced manufacturing processes; one on immune cells called regulatory T-cells; one on a bridge recombinase mechanism, a precise and powerful tool to recombine and rearrange DNA in a programmable way; and one on drug-loaded 3D printed films, which could change cancer treatments forever.

Gen AI Isn’t Ready (for Medical Devices)

Gen AI is an impressive technology with seemingly limitless applications. We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of what it can do. But it’s this very limitlessness that makes it a poor fit for use inside of a medical device. Read on to learn more.

Head-Mounted Device Offers Hope for Treating Depression

A head-mounted device has been found to improve the symptoms of four male patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Future trials using the device may offer a safe and noninvasive way of treating depression. Read on to learn more.

Product Focus: Manufacturing/Assembly Equipment

See where the product focus is this month: On Aven's Mighty Vue Inspector; a spot welder from Amada Weld Tech; a flexible screw conveyor from Hapman; and Rösler's mass finishing technology.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including an angle sensor from ASM Sensors; Raltron's line of mobile speakers with IP67/68 ratings; laboratory sinks from Hemco; a precision-engineered electronic valve from Clippard; Vision Engineering's optical stereo microscope technology; and much more.

Medical Podcasts

Listen to our medical podcasts, including one on 3D printing in healthcare; one on robotics and cobots in medical device production; one on the challenges of achieving biocompatibility, meeting medical-grade standards, and navigating the regulatory landscape for 3D printed devices; and one taking a look at how printed health is transforming medicine.

High-Tech Bandages Could Fend Off Infections, Improve Healing

When wounds happen, we want them to heal quickly and without complications, but sometimes infections and other complications prevent it. Binghamton University Prof. Seokheun “Sean” Choi has some ideas about how to improve the healing process. Read on to learn about them.