Features

Innovations in Orthopedic Elastomers Enhance Durability and Appearance

The history of silicone rubber is synonymous with advancements in medical materials. Silicones, a family of biocompatible elastomers, provide an attractive balance of...

Effects of Tube Processing on the Fatigue Life of Nitinol: Part 2

The long-term structural integrity of the substrate is critical for the development of medical devices approved for demanding cardiovascular applications such as transcatheter...

Bioresorbable Patch Offers New Alternative for Arterial Healing

When a patient experiences 70 percent or greater stenosis in the carotid artery — a condition that can cause lack of cerebral blood flow, stroke, and in some cases, death —...

Product Focus: Test & Measurement

Hardness Tester L.S. Starrett, Athol, MA, has introduced two new digital Rockwell/Superficial Rockwell benchtop hardness testers with fully automated load/unload procedures and capable of providing highly...

Product of the Month

Ultrasonic Welder Cycle time, changeover, and downtime can be significantly and efficiently reduced with a new ultrasonic welder from Hermann Ultrasonics, Bartlett, IL. The HiQ Dialog offers SoftTouch mode, which prevents...

New Products & Services

Composite Tubing Polygon, Walkerton, IN, has released a high-performance composite tubing for surgical applications. PolyMed® composite tubing is ideal for use in a diverse array of medical applications such as...

Vote for the 2019 Annual Readers’ Choice Awards

Each month, 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.

Artificial Skin Creates Ticklish Devices

A new interface takes touch technology to the next level by providing an artificial skin-like membrane for augmenting interactive devices such as phones, wearables, or computers.

New 3D Printing Technique for Biomaterials

A new technique could be used to print soft biomaterials that could be used to repair defects in the body. The method offers an alternative to existing techniques that use gels that have been...

Kirigami Inspires New Method for Wearable Sensors

Researchers have applied kirigami architectures to graphene, an ultra-thin material, to create sensors suitable for wearable devices. Simulations were done using online software on a...

Wearable Trackers Predict Death Risk

A recent study shows that wearable accelerometers — mechanical sensors worn like a watch, belt, or bracelet to track movement — are a more reliable measure of physical activity and better than...

Researchers Compare Shape-Memory Alloys

Researchers have compared two copper-based SMAs of the same composition but fabricated differently. After annealing, the samples were cooled at different rates. Then both samples were heated inside...

VR Helps Amputees ‘Feel’ Prosthetic Limbs

Scientists have shown that amputees can actually be convinced that the prosthetic hand belongs to their own body. They do this by going beyond the “seeing is believing” idiom based on...

Microneedle Biosensors Accurately Detect Patient Antibiotic Levels in Real Time

Small, non-invasive patches worn on the skin can accurately detect the levels of medication in a patient’s system, matching the accuracy of current clinical...

From the Editor — Most Medical Device OEMs Not Ready to Comply with 2020 EU Regulation

Under new rules to market medical devices in the European Union (EU), only 27 percent of respondents said they will be fully compliant with the regulations...

Using Simulation to Evaluate Laser Treatment Methods for Eye Tumors

Computational methods are not widely used in practical medicine, mainly because it is difficult to model specific medical procedures and their effects on the human organism and...

Reducing Risk with Geometric Transition Extrusion

In an effort to design smaller, more intricate and complicated medical devices without running afoul of increasingly stringent national and international regulations, many designers are looking...

Medical Power Supplies and Electromagnetic Interference

One of the challenges of using commercial power supplies in medical instruments is electromagnetic interference (EMI). Commercial power supplies often list “meets Class B” for EMI, but...

2019 'Create the Future' Medical Category Winner: Cervical Stabilization Device

Learn more about the how "CSD" offers a cost-effective, non-invasive way of saving the lives of infants.

Plate Handler Adds Automation in Medical Laboratories

Peak Analysis and Automation (PAA), Farnborough, UK, has designed a budget-friendly plate handler that works in a tight laboratory footprint, developing an innovative product that could be a...

Create the Future Contest 2019 Grand Prize Winner: Life-Saving Device Extends Organ Viability for Transplants

The 17th annual Create the Future Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and...

2019 Create the Future Design Contest Grand Prize Winner: ULiSSES

Learn more about ULISSES, an organ-preserving device that received top honors in the "Create the Future" Design Contest.

New Products & Services

Additives Color and additive concentrates from PolyOne, Avon Lake, NH, help manufacturers design and manufacture parts that appear to be covered with fabric, but without the hassle and cost of applying textiles....

Product of the Month

Proportional Pressure Controls Microcontrollers from Clippard, Cincinnati, OH, utilize the company’s EVP and DVP proportional valves allowing for steady, repeatable downstream pressure as demand or processes change. The...

Product Focus: Manufacturing/Assembly Equipment

Additive Manufacturing Felix Partners, IJsselstein, the Netherlands, has launched several additive manufacturing platforms for industrial production applications. The Pro 3 integrates seamlessly...

Maximizing Biomanufacturing Productivity in Single-Use Applications

Biologics and personalized medicine are increasingly becoming more popular — causing the biomanufacturing industry to change. Instead of sticking to large-scale production...

Miniaturizing Medical Imaging, Sensing Technology

Scientists have used a microchip to map the back of the eye for disease diagnosis. This is the first time that technical obstacles have been overcome to fabricate a miniature device able to...

Flexible Sensor Mimics Human Finger Skin

Artificial skin tactile sensors can feel the similar pressure and vibration felt by human skin. The new sensors can detect more sensitive tactile than the existing ones. The skin-based sensor detects...

Artificial Skin Could Help Rehab, Enhance VR

Researchers have developed a soft, flexible artificial skin made of silicone and electrodes. The skin’s system of soft sensors and actuators enable the artificial skin to conform to the exact shape...