Features

Noninvasive Optical System for Skin Cancer Diagnosis

A noninvasive imaging system combines two advanced techniques to examine both the structure and chemical composition of skin cancers. This approach could improve how doctors diagnose and classify skin cancer and how they monitor treatment responses. Read on to learn more about it.

Self-Cleaning Sweat Sensors Offer Comfortable Monitoring

Researchers have developed novel ISM-based sweat sensors that feature enhanced signal stability and performance and avoid skin contact, while also being reusable, making them practical for daily use. Read on to learn more.

Technology Makes ‘Shape Memory’ Dental Aligners

Researchers are testing a new technology that incorporates shape memory material for clear plastic dental aligners, an alternative to traditional metal braces. The clear aligners still need to be improved to the point that there are two materials — clear aligners and metal braces — that are as good as each other. Read on to learn more.

From the Editor: Steady Growth, Shifting Pressures in Medtech

The 2025 Pulse of the Medtech Industry report from EY offers a clear snapshot of where the medtech sector stands — and where it’s heading. The primary message is one of a mix of steady growth and mounting pressures. Read on to learn what Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content, thinks about the situation.

3D Printed Diamond–Titanium Device Could Lead to Longer-Lasting Implants

RMIT researchers have created an experimental 3D printed diamond–titanium device that generates electricity from flowing liquid and receives wireless power through tissue making it possible to remotely sense changes in flow. Read on to learn more about it.

The Power of the Plasma Pen

Plasma pens integrated into production lines provide targeted plasma treatments that reduce failure rates by improving adhesion and bonding in various critical applications. Read on to learn more about their powers.

Shaping the Future: Honoring the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Medtech - Debbie Teodorescu

The 2025 Medical Rising Star Award recognizes Dr. Debbie Teodorescu, a physician-engineer whose career bridges patient care and technology development. Read on for a full interview with her.

MD&M Midwest 2025, an MD&M Event

Returning to the Minneapolis Convention Center this October, MD&M Midwest 2025 is where the region’s medtech leaders gather to explore, collaborate, and solve the toughest engineering challenges in medical device development. Read on to learn more about it.

The New Medtech Frontier

The next phase of medical device innovation will be defined by systems that are not only responsive but also autonomous and personalized. Read on to learn more.

New Products & Services

See the new products and services, including EPIGAP OSA Photonics GmbH's surface-mount device (SMD) shortwave infrared (SWIR); Moticont's linear voice coil servo motor; Dart Controls' high-performance pulse width modulation (PWM) controller for 12–48-V battery powered equipment; a compact, fullservice RTD sensor from Burns Engineering; and more.

Medical Devices Are Booming — But Can the Supply Chain Keep Up?

While demand surges, so do design and development challenges. Today’s medical devices are not only expected to be smart and connected, but they must also operate flawlessly in high-stakes environments where safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Read on to learn what this means.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Amada Press System’s WH-2A, a 13-axis CNC dual-point coiling machine designed for ultra-fine wire coil processing for medical guidewire formation.

Product Focus: Fluid Handling/Pumps/Valves

See where the product focus is this month: Fluid handling, pumps, and valves, including Clippard's isolation valves with a hit-and-hold option; Raumedic AG's expanded portfolio of biopharmaceutical transfer tubing; Festo's expanded line of compact grippers; and more.

Paper-Based Devices Diagnose Malaria in Asymptomatic People

Devices made with cheap strips of paper have outperformed two other testing methods in detecting malaria infection in asymptomatic people in Ghana — a diagnostic advance that could accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease, researchers say. Read on to learn more.

LED-Based Imaging System Could Transform Cancer Detection

Researchers have developed a prototype imaging system that could significantly improve doctors’ ability to detect cancerous tissue during endoscopic procedures. This approach combines light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with hyperspectral imaging technology to create detailed maps of tissue properties that are invisible to conventional endoscopic cameras. Read on to learn more.

Smart Wound Monitor Poised to Improve Chronic Infection Care

Researchers have developed a wearable wound monitoring device with integrated sensors that could reduce infection risks by minimizing the need for frequent physical contact. The proof-of-concept device is designed for reuse, making it more cost-effective and practical than disposable smart bandages and other emerging wound monitoring technologies. Read on to learn more.

Conductive Polymer Improves Sensor-Based Devices

Scientists have produced a new, powerful electricity-conducting material that could improve wearable technologies, including medical devices. The new technique uses hyaluronic acid applied directly to a gold-plated surface to create a thinner, more durable film, or polymer, used to conduct electricity in devices like biosensors. Read on to learn more.

Bioimaging Device Holds Promise for Eye, Heart Conditions

A new bioimaging device can operate with significantly lower power and in an entirely non-mechanical way. It could one day improve detecting eye and even heart conditions. The device uses a process called electrowetting to change the surface shape of a liquid to perform optical functions. Read on to learn more.

Genetic Testing Device Detects Rare Mutations

Researchers have developed a portable device capable of detecting rare genetic mutations from a single drop of blood. The instrument was shown in lab experiments to quickly and accurately test for a genetic condition called hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, which can cause heart problems. Read on to learn more.

From the Editor: Rebuilding Trust in Medical Devices

A recent report from MasterControl delivers a sobering statistic: more than 8 in 10 physicians (82 percent) have questioned the quality or safety of the medical products they prescribe. For medical device engineers and designers, that figure should be a wake-up call. Read on to learn what Editor and Director of Medical Content Sherrie Trigg thinks about the matter.

3D Printed Cardiac Patch Helps Repair Heart Defects

An interdisciplinary research team from ETH Zurich and the University Hospital of Zurich has developed a novel three-dimensional heart patch for intraventricular implantation. Read on to learn more about it.

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.