Features

Faster From Lab to Patient to Win the Race Against Time

This article explores the essential ingredients of pharmaceutical success, from research and design to development, production and ultimately, the patient. Read on to learn more.

Engineering for the Future: The Trends Transforming Medtech in 2026

Success in 2026 will favor organizations that address these shifts directly: designing for interoperability, validating at the individual level, building security to keep pace with threats, and engineering for real-world clinical use. The innovations that define this year will not only improve device capabilities but reshape how healthcare itself is delivered. Read on to learn more.

MD&M West Show Preview

Returning to Anaheim this February, MD&M West 2026 brings the global medical device community together for three days of engineering insight, manufacturing expertise, and technology breakthroughs. As one of the largest gatherings of medtech professionals in North America, the event showcases the full spectrum of product development. Read on to learn all about it.

Inside the OEM: Medtronic’s Growth and Next Wave of Innovation

When Thierry Piéton stepped into the role of executive vice president and chief financial officer of Medtronic earlier this year, he entered one of the largest and most complex organizations in the medical technology industry. Read on to go inside the OEM.

Product Focus: Motors/Motion Control

See where the product focus is this month: On Moticont's miniature linear servo motor; PI's expanded PICMA encapsulated piezo stack actuator series; Teknic's precision planetary gearboxes for stepper and servo motor applications; and more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: COMSOL's version 6.4 of its COMSOL Multiphysics simulation platform with expanded NVIDIA GPU acceleration for large, coupled models.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including Syensqo's medical-grade polyphthalamide; non-PFAS low-retention additives for pipette tips from Avient; Binder's expanded M8 connector portfolio; fiber laser marking systems for UDI and traceability codes from FOBA; and more.

Wearable Health Tech Brings Research to People

Researchers are exploring new ways to utilize microwave technology in monitoring and assessing health conditions. The results of experiments conducted with realistic models are promising. Bras that detect breast cancer, leg sleeves that identify blood clots, and a helmet that monitors the effects of radiation therapy offer a glimpse into what future healthcare might look like. Read on to learn more.

Bioadhesive Sponge Stops Internal Bleeding

Researchers combined mussel adhesive protein with decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) to develop a composite hemostatic sponge that offers both strong tissue adhesion and biocompatible biodegradability. Read on to learn more.

3D Printing Method ‘Grows’ Ultra-Strong Materials

Researchers have pioneered a 3D printing method that grows metals and ceramics inside a water-based gel, resulting in exceptionally dense, yet intricate constructions for next-generation biomedical technologies. Read on to learn more about it.

Biosensor Identifies Protein Linked to Depression

A low-cost, portable biosensor can quickly identify a protein whose altered levels are associated with psychiatric disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. When it becomes commercially available in the future, it may contribute to early detection, which is essential for treating and monitoring patients’ clinical conditions. Read on to learn more.

Conductive Hydrogel Holds Promise for Implants

A team of scientists has developed a soft polymer hydrogel that can conduct electricity as well as metal can. Read on to learn more.

Wearables: Controlling Machines on the Move

Engineers have developed a next-generation wearable system that enables people to control machines using everyday gestures — even while running, riding in a car, or floating on turbulent ocean waves. Read on to learn more about it.

From the Editor: FDA’s Big AI Moment Signals a New Era for Medtech

"If regulators are accelerating their digital transformation, the medtech community must be ready to meet them there." Read more about Editor and Director of Medical Content Sherrie Trigg's opinion in From the Editor.

Microcatheter Delivers Therapies to the Tiniest Blood Vessels

EPFL researchers have invented a remarkably small and ultraflexible neurovascular microcatheter. Powered by blood flow, it can safely navigate the most intricately branched arteries in a matter of seconds. Read on to learn more about it.

Engineering Compact, Energy-Efficient Electronic Drug-Delivery Pens

The design of electronic drug-delivery pens requires precise control, compact form factors, and exceptionally low power consumption — requirements that can only be met by thoughtful component selection and close collaboration with experienced suppliers. Read on to learn more.

IV Disposables: A Rising Opportunity for Medtech OEMs

For medical-device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the intravenous (IV) disposables market continues to present a fast-expanding frontier — driven by clinical necessity, the increasing burden of chronic disease, heightened infection-control awareness and new care-delivery models. Read on to learn more.

Advances in Polyimide Tubing for Next-Generation Medical Devices

Minimally invasive and interventional platforms increasingly demand smaller profiles, tighter tolerances, and components that maintain performance under thermal, chemical, and mechanical stress. Polyimide (PI) has emerged as a workhorse within these parameters. Read on to learn why.

Built to Adapt: Rethinking Contract Manufacturing for a New Era

In this Q&A, Brian Semcer, president of MICRO, talks to Medical Design Briefs about how the next generation of contract manufacturers is redefining agility, quality, and partnership in the medical device ecosystem. Read now!

Elevating Antimicrobial Coatings to a New Standard: Introducing Surface-Active Systems

There are two main product ranges: Surface-active therapeutics and surface-active materials. Read on to learn more about them.

OEM Toll Processing Advances High-Value Products

Toll processing (or toll manufacturing) involves a manufacturer processing customer-supplied materials or parts for a predetermined fee. The customer retains ownership of the materials, while the toll provider applies specialized technologies, equipment, and expertise to deliver the finished components. Read on to learn more about it.

Mitigating Leak Failures Using Radial Grinding Equipment

The development of the grinding machine was a complex task, requiring ample hours and engineering trials to complete. Read on to learn more about it and what it can do.

Automation: How Custom Motion Control Transforms Medical Equipment Design

In today’s medical equipment market, reliability is not a luxury — it is a necessity. Every adjustment, every movement, and every interaction with the equipment must be performed flawlessly to ensure patient safety, caregiver efficiency, and long-term service life. Behind this design and precision are highly engineered motion control components. Read on to learn more.

Mitigating Biocompatibility Risks from Material and Supplier Changes in Medical Devices

In this Q&A, Audrey Turley, director of lab operations – biosafety at Nelson Laboratories, spoke with Medical Design Briefs about the critical importance of monitoring and managing material changes in medical devices. Read on!

From The Editor: Charting the Technologies That Will Shape Medtech in 2026

As the medtech ecosystem braces for another year of rapid transformation, the need for clarity, adaptability, and technical depth has never been greater. The Winter 2025 Medical Design Briefs Resource Guide continues our mission to provide expert-driven insights into the components, materials, and manufacturing strategies shaping next-generation devices. Read on to hear more from Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content.

2025 Product of the Year

Throughout the year, the editors of Medical Design Briefs choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for MDB’s design engineering readers.

Navigating the Ebb and Flow of the Global Electronics Supply Chain

To better understand both the historical ebb and flow of electronics availability and the outlook for the years ahead, Medical Design Briefs spoke with Ross Valentine, Anal Dharamshi, and Srinivasan Kandaswamy, experts in supply chain and design engineering at Arrow Electronics and its subsidiary eInfochips. Read on for insights that highlight strategies medical OEMs can adopt to balance cost, resilience, and innovation in an increasingly complex supply environment.

Autonomous Surgery: Engineering the Next Generation of Surgical Robots

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University recently demonstrated the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), completing eight consecutive gallbladder removal procedures on ex vivo tissue without human intervention. Medical Design Briefs spoke with Axel Krieger, PhD, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins and senior author of the study, about the system’s architecture, safeguards, and future applications.

The Promise and Challenge of On-Body Biosensors: A Perspective on Clinical Utility and Commercial Viability in Patient Management

On-body biosensors have crossed the threshold from technological novelty to clinical tool driving medical decisions. The most successful devices share common traits: They provide clinically actionable information, reliably measure rapidly changing biomarkers, account for confounding variables, and utilize established reimbursement pathways. Read on to learn more about them.