The road to better, longer-lasting hip implants may be paved with better lubricants. A team of engineers and physicians recently discovered that graphitic carbon is a key element in a lubricating layer for longer-lasting metal-on-metal hip implants. The ability to extend the life of implants would have enormous...

Engineers at the University of Illinois have developed a bandage that stimulates and directs blood vessel growth on the surface of a wound. The bandage, called a “microvascular stamp,” contains living cells that deliver growth factors to damaged tissues in a defined pattern. The new approach is the...

A variety of silicon-fabricated devices is used in medical applications such as drug and cell delivery, and DNA and protein separation and analysis. In applications such as drug delivery from implantable devices, the silicon device structure must have superior precision. In...

Clippard Instrument Laboratory (Cincinnati, OH) has launched an expanded 3D catalog that includes its electronic and control valve miniature pneumatic lines. Clippard Minimatics are used in control, interface, sensing, logic, and actuation functions in a broad range of applications and industries including medical equipment and...

The FDA recently announced an initiative to improve reusable medical device reprocessing, the process of cleaning and disinfecting a device for use with more than one patient. Improper reprocessing of reusable medical devices can lead to Health care-Associated Infections (HAIs). Medical Design Briefs will explore this...

Time and again, gaming technology has proven its ability to benefit our lives in ways that surpass entertainment. It has been utilized in medical and therapeutic applications ranging from helping stroke victims restore functionality, to training users to control stress and multi-task. Another example recently came to my...

Promising news for millions of Americans living with type 1 diabetes: The FDA has issued guidelines specific to developing an artificial pancreas — a system that would serve to continuously monitor blood glucose levels and deliver the correct amount of insulin to the body when needed, functioning...

A team of researchers co-led by the University of Pennsylvania has developed and tested a high-resolution, ultra-thin device capable of recording brain activity from the cortical surface without having to use penetrating electrodes. The device could open the door to a new generation of...