Features

Twisted Nanotubes Power Sensors

Researchers have shown that twisted carbon nanotubes can store three times more energy per unit mass than advanced lithium-ion batteries. The finding may advance carbon nanotubes as a promising solution for storing energy in devices that need to be lightweight, compact, and safe, such as medical implants and sensors. Read on to learn more.

Hydrogel Implant Treats Endometriosis

Researchers have now developed the first hydrogel implant designed for use in fallopian tubes. This innovation performs two functions: one is to act as a contraceptive, the other is to prevent the recipient from developing endometriosis in the first place or to halt the spread if they do. Read on to learn more.

3D Printed Active Fabric

Scientists have developed an innovative wearable fabric that is flexible but can stiffen on demand. Developed through a combination of geometric design, 3D printing, and robotic control, the new technology, RoboFabric, can quickly be made into medical devices or soft robotics. Read on to learn more about it.

Bioink Mimics Human Skin

A new bioink has been designed for engineering human skin constructs using norbornene-pullulan-based hydrogels. The researchers introduced a novel photocrosslinkable bioink designed for engineering human skin constructs, based on thiol-norbornene-pullulan (N-PLN) formulations combined with various crosslinkers. Read on to learn more.

Device Strengthens Rotator Cuff Repair

Researchers focused on the development and regeneration of the tendon-to-bone attachment, particularly for advancing tendon-to-bone repair, necessary for rotator cuff repair, and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The researchers have developed a python-tooth-inspired device as a supplement to current rotator cuff suture repair and found that it nearly doubled repair strength. Read on to learn more.

Finger Pouch Actuator Improves Rehab Gloves

Researchers have succeeded in adding finger straightening or extension to soft rehabilitation gloves through a novel foldable pouch actuator (FPA) without compromising the already existing functionality of finger bending or flexion. Read on to learn more about it.

From the Editor - Study: Use of Recalled Products Does Not Equal Future Loyalty

A new report has found that 36 percent of Americans admit they would continue to use products even after a recall. See what Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content, has to say about the use of recalled products and future loyalty.

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.

Transdermal Technology: Designing the World’s First Seven-Day Patch for Alzheimer’s

Transdermal technology has been around for a very long time. The popularity of patches, consisting of plant, animal or mineral extracts, dates back to the building of the pyramids in ancient Egypt and in Babylonian medicine, around 3000 BC. How can transdermal patches help in the fight against Alzheimer’s? Read this article to find out.

Medical Imaging: Trends Shaping Diagnostic Advancements

This article explores key modalities like ultrasound, MRI, OCT, x-ray, CT, and PET, as well as several emerging trends that are driving performance improvements. Read on to learn more.

MD&M Minneapolis, an MD&M Event

MD&M Minneapolis is the sourcing home for hundreds of different types of suppliers. From medical device components to medical packaging, it has everything, and more, under one roof. Read on to learn more about the region’s most comprehensive medical design and manufacturing event — MD&M Minneapolis — part of Advanced Manufacturing Minneapolis.

Personalized Medicine: The Role of Nanosensors in Disease Detection

Nanosensors are transforming the field of disease detection by offering unprecedented sensitivity, precision, and speed in identifying biomarkers associated with various health conditions. These tiny sensors, often built at the molecular or atomic scale, can detect minute changes in biological samples. Read on to learn more about nanosensors.

Trailblazing Innovators: Meet the Rising Stars Redefining Leadership in Medtech

The inaugural Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards program has shone a much-deserved spotlight on extraordinary women who are not only advancing the field of medical engineering but also setting new standards for leadership and innovation. Read on to learn more about the award winners.

Medical Rising Star Award Winner 2024: Asha Parekh

Dr. Asha Parekh, CEO and Co-Founder, Front Line Medical Technologies from Ontario, Canada, is the 2024 Rising Star Award Winner for Medical.

Medical Rising Star Award Winner 2024: Oonagh Hassett

Oonagh Hassett, Program Manager, Symphysis Medical from Galway, Ireland, is the 2024 Rising Star Award Winner for Medical.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month, Bally Ribbon Mills' product line of medical textiles and fabrics ideal for use in cardiovascular, orthopedic, and dental prosthetic applications. Read on to learn more about it.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including Raltron's line of mobile speakers for use in IoT, wearable, headset/hearing, smart home, consumer, and medical devices; miniature rotor motors from Portescap; a Class 1 laser workstation from Amada Weld Tech; Parvalux by maxon's rapidly prototyped motors; a 3D laser-based, computer-vision system from Coherix; compact EtherCAT brushless servo motor models from Teknic; and more.

Product Focus: Mechanical Components 2024

See where the product focus is this month: mechanical components, including Binder's M8 12-pin circular connector; Saint-Gobain Abrasives' abrasive belt designed to provide consistent, fine finishes across a range of industries including medical; a camera module for 3D intraoral dental scanners from Omnivision; and TOSS Machine Components' panel mount impulse heat seal controller.

Ultrahigh Sensing Platform

New research unlocks the power of exceptional points (EPs) for advanced optical sensing. Unlike traditional methods that require modifications to the sensor itself, the system features an EP control unit that can plug in to physically separated external sensors. Read on to learn more.

Eco-Friendly 3D Printing

A method for 3D printing called vapor-induced phase-separation 3D printing, or VIPS-3D, can create single-material as well as multi-material objects. Read on to learn more about it.

Improved Microneedle Technology

An improved technique uses a single microneedle to get enough fluid for a test in about 10 minutes. The microneedles penetrate the outer skin layer, but they don’t reach nerve endings and are hollow. Read on to learn more.

Plug Prevents Total Knee Replacement

Synthetic cartilage-capped regenerative osteochondral plugs offer a potential off-the-shelf surgical device to treat OCDs and avoid total knee replacement. Read on to learn more about them.

Project Aims to Improve LVADs

Researchers are bringing together multiple areas of technical expertise to improve LVAD performance and outcomes. Read on to learn what this means.

Material Improves Implantable Technology

Borophene is more conductive, thinner, lighter, stronger, and more flexible than graphene, the 2D version of carbon. Now, researchers have made the material potentially more useful by imparting chirality — or handedness — on it. Read on to learn what this could mean for advanced sensors and implantable medical devices.

From the Editor: A Breakthrough in Remote Surgical Robotics

The global market for robotic surgical systems and their accessories will reach $10 billion in 2024, with a substantial increase expected to $15.8 billion by 2030. Read on to learn what Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content, has to say about surgical robots.

Flexible Tentacle Electrodes Precisely Record Brain Activity

A team has developed a new type of electrode that enables more detailed and more precise recordings of brain activity over an extended period of time. These electrodes are made of bundles of extremely fine and flexible fibers of electrically conductive gold encapsulated in a polymer. Read on to learn more.

Inside the OEM: Becton Dickinson (BD)

Becton Dickinson (BD), a global leader in medical technology for many years, is strategically positioned to drive innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth. Read on to learn more about BD.

How Precision Motion Components Enable Successful Robotic Surgery Outcomes

Mitigating robotic surgery risks often comes down to the precision and performance of your motion components. That’s why it’s important to work with a motion component manufacturer that is known for quality products with these attributes. Read on to learn more.

Why Standardization Matters in Pulsed Electric Field Generation for Clinical Electroporation

Pulsed field ablation is a nonthermal method of tissue ablation technology that uses high amplitude pulsed electrical fields to create irreversible electroporation in tissues. Read on to learn more about it.