-1
270
30
Blog: Medical
“Free trade is being abandoned, which is very worrying, said Rudolf Staudigl, CEO of silicone giant Wacker Chemical. Staudigl made the assertion at the silicone giant’s...
From the Editor: Medical
Confidence High, but Concerns Remain
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...
From the Editor: Electronics & Computers
And the Winners Are...
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...
Blog: Materials
On a recent tour of bioscience companies in the East Valley area of Phoenix, AZ, I visited AniCell Biotech, a company dedicated to extending the lives of animals through...
From the Editor: Medical
As 2016 came to a close, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the 21st Century Cures Act by a vote of 392–26, and the Senate passed it by a vote of...
From the Editor: Medical
In late August, short-selling investment firm Muddy Waters issued an alarming report claiming that St. Jude Medical’s pacemakers, ICDs, and CRTs “should be...
From the Editor: Medical
Building on Success
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...
From the Editor: Design
Good News/Sad News
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...
From the Editor: AR/AI
Peeking in on Surgery
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...
From the Editor: Medical
By the time you read this, Robert M. Califf, MD, a recognized global leader in cardiology, clinical research, and medical economics, will have been installed as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s...
From the Editor: Materials
In December, we asked Medical Design Briefs readers to select one product from our 12 Products of the Month that they thought was the most significant new introduction to the...
From the Editor: Regulations/Standards
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
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...
From the Editor: Manufacturing & Prototyping
What Should the Next Generation Study?
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...
From the Editor: Regulations/Standards
Crowdfunding and the Danger of Unapproved Devices
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...
From the Editor: Regulations/Standards
There’s an App for That?
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...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — As Components Shrink, Business Grows
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...
From the Editor: Medical
Keeping Up with the FDA
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...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — 3D Bioprinting & Socks
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...
From the Editor: Design
Six Words that Can Kill Innovation
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...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — An Apple a Day Keeps the Researcher Close
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.
From the Editor: Motion Control
In December, we asked Medical Design Briefs readers to select the one product from our 12 Products of the Month that you thought was the most significant new...
From the Editor: Government
From the Editor — Changes Afoot at FDA
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...
From the Editor: Government
From the Editor — Will 2015 Be the Year of the Brain?
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,...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — Shopping Can Be Hazardous
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...
From the Editor: Medical
As of this writing, the midterm election was just held and, as you know, Republicans took control of the Senate while keeping control of the House of Representatives. The United States Supreme...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — FDA and Industry Finding Common Ground
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...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — Medical Tricorder Coming Closer
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...
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — Turn On, Set Up, Sync In
In the late 1960s, Timothy Leary advised people to “Turn on, tune in, drop out” by using psychedelic drugs. Fifty years later, the message might be “Turn on, sync in, stay connected 24/7”.
From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — Remember When?
Remember when you were a child and broke your arm and had to wear a heavy, hot plaster cast in the Summer? Your arm felt heavy and itchy, your muscles atrophied, you had to wear a plastic bag over your cast to shower, and, after a couple of weeks, the cotton padding inside stunk. The only good thing about it,...
Top Stories
INSIDER: Medical
Brain Implant Enables Safer Drug Delivery
Features: Medical
Built to Adapt: Rethinking Contract Manufacturing for a New Era
Podcasts: Design
Smarter Pathways for Precision Drug Delivery in Cancer Care
From the Editor: Medical
From The Editor: Charting the Technologies That Will Shape Medtech in 2026
Features: Materials
OEM Toll Processing Advances High-Value Products
Podcasts: Medical
Ask the Expert
Ralph Bright on the Power of Power Cords
Understanding power system components and how to connect them correctly is critical to meeting regulatory requirements and designing successful electrical products for worldwide markets. Interpower’s Ralph Bright defines these requirements and explains how to know which cord to select for your application.
Webcasts
Podcasts: Medical
How Wearables Are Enhancing Smart Drug Delivery
Podcasts: Design
Developing Sustainable Drug-Delivery Devices
Podcasts: Design
Smarter Pathways for Precision Drug Delivery in Cancer Care
On-Demand Webinars: Medical
Understanding Testing and Compliance Requirements for Wireless Medical Devices
Podcasts: AR/AI
Personalized Medicine and Drug Delivery
Podcasts: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Inside Story
Inside Story: Trends in Packaging and Sterilization
Eurofins Medical Device Testing (MDT) provides a full scope of testing services. In this interview, Eurofins’ experts, Sunny Modi, PhD, Director of Package Testing; and Elizabeth Sydnor, Director of Microbiology; answer common questions on medical device packaging and sterilization.
