Features

Exoskeletons, Surgical Robotics Drive Advances in Motion System Technologies

New technologies are coming along every day that are designed to make an engineer's life easier when attempting to fulfill his or her motion control system needs. This...

In-Situ, Real-Time Monitoring of High-Power Lasers

A smaller, faster and more sensitive laser power meter in the form of a folding mirror uses a capacitor-based force transducer and merges optical elements, namely a high reflectivity mirror,...

Technology Could Help Pregnant Women Detect Health Complications

Researchers are developing an app and wearable technology to enable pregnant women to use a smartphone to detect whether they have or are susceptible to a condition that could...

Ingestible ‘Bacteria on a Chip’ Diagnoses Disease

Researchers have built an ingestible sensor equipped with genetically engineered bacteria that can diagnose bleeding in the stomach or other gastrointestinal problems.

Elastic Fiber Revolutionizes Smart Clothes

Scientists have found a fast and simple way to make super-elastic, multi-material, high-performance fibers. Their fibers have already been used as sensors on robotic fingers and in clothing. This...

Blood Test Rapidly Detects Signs of Pancreatic Cancer

A new diagnostic test shows promise for detecting the disease earlier. The test, which is at the proof-of-concept stage, can rapidly screen a drop of blood for bio-markers of pancreatic...

Applying an Electric Field May Lead to More Resilient Dental Implants

Researchers have observed a way that the brittle nature of ceramics can be overcome as they sustain heavy loads, leading to more resilient structures such as dental implants.

Selecting Gearhead Technology for Medical Imaging Equipment

CT scanners have far greater accuracy than x-ray technology but place more demands on patients. Getting the high precision, three-dimensional images necessary for accurate diagnosis...

Spikes of Graphene Kill Bacteria on Medical Implants

Chalmers University of TechnologyGothenberg, Swedenwww.chalmers.se Operations for surgical implants, such as hip and knee replacements or dental implants, have increased in recent years....

Product of the Month

Medical Tantalum Capacitors AVX Corp., Fountain Inn, SC, has released a series of medical-grade tantalum capacitors for noncritical medical devices. The T4Z Medical Series HRC4000 capacitors are designed to replace...

From the Editor — MedInnovation: A Roadmap for Emerging Technologies

I am truly excited about this month’s inaugural MedInnovation conference. It’s goal is to present a roadmap for getting innovative — and by that, I mean game changing...

Spider Silk Key to New Bone-Fixing Composite

Researchers have created a biodegradable composite made of silk fibers that can be used to repair broken load-bearing bones without the complications sometimes presented by other materials.

Cancer Blood Test Detects Tumors Early

A microfluidic device the size of two quarters has the ability to catch and release circulating tumor cells (CTCs) — cancer cells that circulate in a cancer patient's blood. Such a device could lead to...

Drug-filled, 3D Printed Dentures Fight Infections

Researchers have turned to 3D printers, using the machines to build dentures filled with microscopic capsules that periodically release Amphotericin B, an antifungal medication. A study...

Erasable Contrast Agents Blink On/Off

Researchers are working on “erasable” contrast agents that would have the ability to blink off, on command, thereby revealing their location in the body.

Prosthetic Arms Provide Controlled Sensory Feedback

Researchers have developed a control algorithm that regulates current so that a prosthetics user feels steady sensation, even when the electrodes begin to peel off or when sweat builds up.

Product of the Month

Medical Vision Computer Active Silicon, Iver, UK, has released its latest embedded vision product, a medical vision computer designed to acquire image data from USB3 VisionTM cameras. The Vision Processing Unit (VPU)...

Exploring Oligomers for Medical 3D Printing

In 3D printing, the additive manufacturing processes use gradual creation or addition of materials to form an object. 3D printing has become a widely used method for manufacturing prototypes in many...

E-beam Sterilization: The Impact on Skin-Contact Adhesives for Medical Applications

The performance of adhesives used for wearable medical device applications is critical to the efficacy of the final product, as an improperly affixed device is...

Evaluating Electronics Contract Manufacturers for Medical Devices

The ideal contract manufacturer is more than a transactional supplier; rather, it is a partner that improves the product and process. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic...

Ergonomics and Handheld Medical Devices: Five Vital Elements for Design Success

Dexterity, precision, control and comfort — without them, no handheld or hand intensive medical device is a success, for either the medical professional using it...

A Regenerative Vascular Graft: Innovations in Textile Engineering and Advanced Biomaterials

The majority of cardiovascular devices are permanent and, with a few exceptions, are nondegradable. In general, these devices successfully fulfill...

Passive Hardware Considerations for Medical Body Area Network Transceivers

In hospitals and healthcare institutions, the sheer amount of patient metrics to track for the staff of doctors and nurses can be been a point of contention. Lawsuits...

Peelable Heat Shrinkable Tubing Enables Next-Gen Miniaturization

When it comes to the cardiovascular procedures, small is indeed beautiful. With the need for minimally invasive procedures and increasing moves to deliver therapies to...

Data, Data Everywhere: Why the Medical Device Industry Must Embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution

We live in a fast-changing world that is delivering rapid advances in technology and greater consumer expectations. Along with changing...

New Products & Services

Panel-Mount Printer Fujitsu Components America, San Jose, CA, has released a compact, panel-mount printer unit that reduces the time and cost needed to integrate high-speed printing capabilities into a variety of...

Lab-on-a-Chip Delivers Critical Immunity Data for Vulnerable Populations

A team of researchers has developed a portable, reconfigurable lab-on-a-chip diagnostic platform and field-tested the system in remote Kenya. Their validated platform...

Scientists Develop Elastic Metal Rods to Treat Scoliosis

National University of Science and Technology MISIS Moscow, Russia http://en.misis.ru/ Together with colleagues from the Ecole de Technologie Superiore (Montreal, Canada), scientists at...

From the Editor — Mitigating Device Misuse and Lability via Virtual Reality Training

A virtual reality system for training surgeons is gaining traction with major medical device companies looking to mitigate misuse and liability concerns.