Features

Inside the OEM: Stryker Thrives Amid Global Headwinds

This article examines how Stryker is executing its strategies in a complex and evolving macroeconomic environment, balancing the pressures of inflation, supply chain constraints, and global competition while driving operational discipline, expanding its differentiated robotics portfolio, launching new trauma systems, and leveraging tuck-in acquisitions.

Patient-Centric Design and Collaboration in Drug-Delivery Devices

Across ailments, the burden of self-administered care is growing, and with it, the importance of designing drug-delivery systems designed with the patient experience at their core. Patient-centric design goes beyond usability metrics and checklists. It’s about building trust, reducing friction and enabling people to manage their health with confidence and dignity. Read on to learn more.

Fitting More Functionality Into Increasingly Smaller, Smarter Devices: Heterogeneous Integration

Engineering and manufacturing complex devices requires heterogeneous integration; the process of combining multiple, different parts that together have the functionality required that gather process and communicate the important information. Read on to learn more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including Dickson's mapping suite designed to streamline the identification of critical hot and cold zones and the analysis of temperature and humidity trends; Littelfuse's series of sealed tactile switches for surface-mount technology; Mahr Inc.'s height gage designed for ease of use and efficiency in production environments; and more.

AI Is in the Room — But Will It Bring Your Innovations to Market Quicker?

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a tool to balance challenges and facilitate the goal of bringing new innovations to market faster. And while AI undoubtedly has the potential to play a transformative role in medical device R&D, it must be approached with caution and utilized in a supportive capacity. Read on to learn more.

The Evolving Role of Robotics in Healthcare

Listen to these podcasts to learn how the role of robotics in healthcare has evolved and will continue to evolve.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: MethodSense's Elsa & AI Resource Center at MethodSense.com. Read on to learn more about it.

Product Focus: Tubing

See where the product focus is this month: Tubing, including TekniPlex Healthcare's PTA/PTCA balloon catheter tubing solutions; Kent Elastomer Products' biopharmaceutical tubing that can replace thermoplastic elastomers and is designed to reduce emissions related to single-use tubing by as much as 50 percent; cut-to-length and slit peelable heat shrink tubing from Junkosha; and more.

Leadless Pacemaker Prevents Invasive Surgeries

Researchers have created a groundbreaking prototype for a new kind of leadless pacemaker designed for both children and adults. The innovative micropacemaker would be the first fully leadless system to be placed in the pericardial space surrounding the heart. Read on to learn more.

Surgical Microscope Uses Tiny Cameras

To meet the need for better 3D imaging that works during live surgery, researchers recently developed a new kind of surgical microscope called the Fourier light-field multiview stereoscope, known as FiLM-Scope. Read on to learn more.

Smart Capsule Designed to Study GI Tract

Engineers have developed a smart capsule called PillTrek that can measure pH, temperature, and a variety of different biomarkers. It incorporates simple, inexpensive sensors into a miniature wireless electrochemical workstation that relies on low-power electronics. Read on to learn more.

Wristband All-in-One Monitor for Diabetes, Cardio Care

A wearable wristband could significantly improve diabetes management by continuously tracking not only glucose but also other chemical and cardiovascular signals that influence disease progression and overall health. Read on to learn more.

Soft Brainstem Implant Delivers High-Resolution Hearing

Researchers have developed a soft, thin-film auditory brainstem implant. The device uses micrometer-scale platinum electrodes embedded in silicone, forming a pliable array just a fraction of a millimeter thick. This novel approach enables better tissue contact, potentially preventing off-target nerve activation and reducing side effects. Read on to learn more.

Toothbrush-Shaped Ultrasound Allows for Gum Monitoring

A toothbrush-shaped ultrasound transducer can provide a less invasive screening for gum disease. In proof-of-concept demonstrations on animal tissues, the device produced measurements similar to those of a manual probe. Read on to learn more.

Researchers Develop Self-Illuminating Biosensor

Engineers have harnessed quantum physics to detect the presence of biomolecules without the need for an external light source, overcoming a significant obstacle to the use of optical biosensors in healthcare. Read on to learn more.

From The Editor: Australia’s Medtech Investment Signals Global Shift and Opportunity for U.S. Partners

Australia is entering the global medical technology arena with a strategic investment package totaling $65.5 million, aimed at accelerating R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization. Backed by the Australian government, the move signals a deepening commitment to innovation-driven self-reliance — and opens the door to new global partnerships, including with U.S. medical device firms. Read on to learn what this means.

PHOx: An Innovative, Safer Polymer for Implantable Medical Devices

A team from the GIGA (Cardiology Laboratory) and the CESAM (Centre de recherche sur les macromolécules – CERM) at the University of Liège has developed PHOx, a thermoplastic elastomer without isocyanate PU (NIPU), which is therefore less toxic to produce and much better tolerated by the human body. Read on to learn more.

Micro Solutions, Major Advances: Micromolding Fuels the Next Generation of Medical Devices

With its unmatched precision and scalability, micromolding is reshaping what is possible in medical device manufacturing. From early prototyping to high-volume production, this technology empowers manufacturers to meet demanding requirements while accelerating innovation. Read on to learn more.

Cracking the Code of Cardiac Care: How AI-Enabled ECG Could Solve Key Challenges in CVD Diagnosis

The escalating costs and prevalence of cardiovascular disease demand innovative solutions that can enhance care quality while alleviating financial burden. AI-enabled ECG technology may offer a compelling and actionable response to these challenges. Read on to learn more.

Burn, Freeze, Shock, or Shear: The Expanding Frontiers of Ablation Therapies

Ablation therapies have become indispensable in modern medicine, and their influence will only grow as innovation drives less-invasive, more-effective solutions. The next wave of advancements is likely to emerge from the convergence of technologies, leveraging engineering, biology, and clinical insights to overcome current limitations. Read on to learn more.

Inside the OEM: Boston Scientific to Focus on Cardiology Innovation

At a time when many medtech firms are grappling with regulatory headwinds, pricing pressures, and geopolitical disruptions, Boston Scientific is focused, aligned, and thriving. Read on to learn about the company’s growth in electrophysiology, strength in LAAC, disciplined margin expansion, and much more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: SGS has received EPA approval as a recognized third-party certification body for testing and certification of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines under the ENERGY STAR® label. The certification allows brands and manufacturers to demonstrate that a device uses less energy in ready to scan mode as well as via an automated power down to an energy saving low power state. Read on to learn more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including Dymax's expanded portfolio of TPO-free light-curable materials; Instron's advanced noncontacting video extensometer; Würth Elektronik's extended RGB LED product series; Arnold Magnetic Technologies' line of high-energy flexible magnets; and more.

Product Focus: Connectors/Wires/Cables

See where the product focus is this month: On connectors, wires, and cables, including a range of panel-mount connectors from binder; Colder Products Company's smallest aseptic connector available; LEMO's new push-pull connector series; and more.

Paper-Based Diagnostic Provides Rapid Disease Detection

A paper-based diagnostic device can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel. Read on to learn more about it.

Pipette Activates Individual Neurons

Researchers have developed a new type of pipette that can deliver ions to individual neurons without affecting the sensitive extracellular milieu. Controlling the concentration of different ions can provide important insights into how individual brain cells are affected and how cells work together. Read on to learn more.

A Chip with Natural Blood Vessels

Mini organs are incomplete without blood vessels. To facilitate systematic studies and ensure meaningful comparisons with living organisms, a network of perfusable blood vessels and capillaries must be created — in a way that is precisely controllable and reproducible. A team has established a method using ultrashort laser pulses to create tiny blood vessels in a rapid and reproducible manner. Read on to learn more about it.

Long-Lasting 3D Printed Wearable Transforms Health Monitoring

A long-lasting, 3D-printed, adhesive-free wearable provides a more comprehensive picture of a user’s physiological state. The device, which measures water vapor and skin emissions of gases, continuously tracks and logs physiological data associated with dehydration, metabolic shifts, and stress levels. Read on to learn more.

AI-Powered Analysis of Stent Healing

A research team has developed DeepNeo, an AI-powered algorithm that automates the process of analyzing coronary stents after implantation. The tool matches medical expert accuracy while significantly reducing assessment time. Read on to learn more.