Medical Blog

Hospitals had a close call last week as the WannaCry ransomware campaign infected healthcare systems across more than 100 countries. The unprecedented cyberattack encrypted users’ data throughout Britain, Europe, and Asia and has forced IT managers to rethink how best to outsmart the next...

Incoming AdvaMed chairman Nadim Yared will continue AdvaMed’s drive to ensure a permanent repeal of the medical device excise tax, calling it his “highest priority” heading into his term as chairman. Yared, who is president and CEO of CVRx, spoke at a press conference in April.

A recent forecast indicates a mostly positive outlook for the international medtech industry but highlights a few areas that will present challenges going forward. The “8th Thinking Ahead! LIMEDex Index Report” was authored by Beatus Hofrichter, found - er and managing partner of conceplus, a medtech think...

In December, we asked Medical Design Briefs readers to cast their ballot to choose from our 12 Products of the Month the technology they felt was the most significant new introduction to the design engineering community in 2016. The selected products reflect advances that enable new innovations in medical technology. Here are...

From its first issue to today, the mission of Medical Design Briefs has been to provide our design engineering readers with information on the latest technology advances in medical devices, instruments, and systems from sources worldwide. With readers at the front end of the product development process, MDB has helped spark the...

For much of our recent Editorial & Sales Meeting, we discussed trends that we are seeing in the marketplace, in the news, and in discussion with contributors to evaluate coverage for this year and to help sharpen our editorial focus for next year. Manufacturing will continue to see greater coverage as we increase the...

Virtual reality (VR) is back in the news again with the recent releases of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, which both offer a realistic VR experience powered by a gaming computer. By wearing a somewhat bulky headset, users are able to immerse themselves into a world that allows them to interact with virtual objects with some...

According to the late, great David Bowie, “the stars look very different today”. After two years of collecting the 2.3% Medical Device Excise Tax, the tax has now been suspended for all of 2016 and 2017 when President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016. The tax was expected to raise almost $30 billion over...

For students entering college and for those already enrolled, contradictory messages abound in what type of future they will face upon graduation. Politicians talk about college costs and the crippling debt and lack of jobs that some students face versus the need for college at all. American businesses...

Crowdfunding is being used every day to raise money for various causes and to aid in the launch of new products. Spurred on by themes such as “Be the change you want to see in the world,” donors feel virtuous for helping to fund a child’s medical bills or helping a non-profit to provide clean...

Recently, an online discussion board broached the subject of FDA approval for a diagnostic app that might be able to predict when a patient’s condition would relapse. The question postulated whether there was a way to circumvent FDA approval by launching the app in another country and making it available online. And, if...

The demand for electronics is growing exponentially. Advances in sensors, integrated circuits, and wireless communications have allowed the design of low-cost, miniature, lightweight, and intelligent devices that can sense, process, and communicate health information through wireless personal...

In mid-July, the House of Representatives passed HR 6, also known as the 21st Century Cures Act, which expedites research and development on debilitating diseases and makes it easier to get important treatments to the patients who need them. Among other things, it makes research collaborations easier, reforms and streamlines...

A few months ago, I lost my cousin to liver cancer. She was several years older than me — a creative, warm, wise, and welcoming woman who had recently become a grandmother for the second time. In fact, her granddaughter was born the very day she began chemotherapy. I visited her in the hospital just days...

While the late great comedian George Carlin had his infamous “Seven Words”, only six words are needed to kill innovation in any industry: “We’ve always done it this way.” How much more might be accomplished if those six words could be replaced with “what if”? What if we tried it this way? What if we...

You’ve heard the latest Apple Watch claims and seen the advance sales numbers. No stranger to grand pronouncements about their products, this very “personal” one, the company says, can run its own apps, connect with iPhones, and be both a fashion and status statement.

Recently, FDA commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, announced that she was stepping down at the end of March. One of the longest-serving FDA commissioners, Hamburg started in the position in May of 2009. Her job has been demanding and intense, dealing with everything from the rollout of the Affordable Care...

In April 2013, President Obama announced a highly ambitious multi-year BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, focused on expanding and revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. The BRAIN Initiative has five participating federal agencies,...

High prices are not the only things that can cause a shock at the mall. Most stores now have electronic article surveillance (EAS) gates, designed to deter shoplifting. Of course, you may not have noticed them, as they are often covered with signs indicating sales. But for someone with an implanted...

At the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) conference held in Chicago in October, several FDA officials participated in panel discussions and Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, FDA Commissioner, was a plenary luncheon speaker for an in-depth discussion of how FDA policies are affecting...

One of the largest design contests dollar-wise to improve healthcare in the US is focused on creating a medical diagnostic device inspired by Star Trek®. The Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE is a $10 million multi-year global competition to stimulate innovation and integration of precision diagnostic...