Product Development

Genetic Delivery System Targets Lungs to Treat Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis

Scientists have made a key breakthrough for treating respiratory diseases by developing a new drug-delivery system that transports genetic therapies directly to the...

Ultra Selective Aptamers Bind to Specific Molecules

Inspired by the way viruses attach to cells, scientists have developed a method for engineering ultra-selective aptamers. These synthetic molecules bind to specific targets like viral...

Flexible Hydrogel Could Improve Drug Delivery for Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Treatment

Researchers have created a new hydrogel to improve drug delivery for treating post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). The hydrogel, which is designed to...

The Growing Connectivity Dimensions in Medical Technology

The lack of compatibility between high electrical and highly dynamic requirements in cable design is not solved but taken to a new level with medical megatrends such as AI, robotics, and miniaturization together with indispensable sustainability and safety demands. Read on to learn more.

From the Editor - Welcome to the Inaugural Medical Design Briefs Resource Guide

As the pace of innovation accelerates across the medical device industry, staying informed on core technologies and market trends is more important than ever. With that in mind, we are proud to introduce the 2025 summer edition of the Medical Design Briefs Resource Guide — a new, semi-annual issue designed to deliver essential insights into the components, materials, and services that power medical device development and manufacturing. Read on to learn more.

Regulatory

In May 2004, FDA issued a guidance document that reclassified certain dental implants from Class III to Class II, thereby reducing regulatory burdens while maintaining safety standards. What type of dental implants were...

Tariffs Are Now a Strategic Variable: How MedTech Manufacturers Are Splitting Their Response

The Trump administration’s 2025 trade policy has presented a challenge for U.S. medical device manufacturers: how to respond to escalating tariffs on...

Technology

In April 2004, FDA approved what kind of system allows to treat epilepsy?

Scientists Develop ‘Smart Pajamas’ to Monitor Sleep Disorders

Researchers have developed comfortable, washable smart pajamas that can monitor sleep disorders such as sleep apnea at home, without the need for sticky patches, cumbersome equipment or a visit to a specialist sleep clinic. Read on to learn more.

Technology

March 3rd is recognized as World Hearing Day. One of the most significant medical device innovations for hearing impairment is the cochlear implant. In what year was the first commercially available multi-channel cochlear implant...

Portable, Blood-Based Device Detects Colon Cancer

Screening methods for the cancer can be unreliable and result in false positives. To remedy this problem, scientists are developing a less-invasive portable device that would use blood...

Guest Editorial: The Power of One When Choosing Stent and Catheter Partners

As device designs become increasingly sophisticated, medtech companies are understandably seeking contract design and manufacturing partners that can accompany them on...

Women Pioneers in Medtech: Innovators Who Have Transformed Healthcare

This article highlights four remarkable women — Dr. Patricia Bath, Rosalind Franklin, Dr. Helen Free, and Dr. Marie Curie — whose pioneering work has shaped modern medicine and continues to inspire future generations. Read on to learn more about them.

Low-Cost Laparoscope Designed for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Despite its advantages, laparoscopic surgery remains largely inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the high cost of equipment and other logistical challenges. To bridge this gap, researchers recently developed the KeyScope, an affordable laparoscope designed specifically for LMICs. Read on to learn more.

Cardiology

In 1952, what device was successfully implanted in a human, making medical history?

A Tapeworm-Inspired, Tissue-Anchoring Mechanism for Medical Devices

A new interdisciplinary effort led by Robert Wood, the Harry Lewis and Marlyn McGrath Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and James Weaver, of Harvard’s Wyss Institute, has drawn inspiration from an unexpected source: the world of parasites. Read on to learn more.

Technology

In 2012, what technology that is ubiquitous in our everyday lives was used to recognize and measure DNA concentration?

A Tabletop Robot May Revolutionize Physical Therapy Delivery

Mohammad Habibur (Habib) Rahman, Director of the BioRobotics Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his team have been developing a portable, assistive robotic arm that therapists can use to assess and treat patients whether or not they are not in the same location.

Wearable Device for Cells Could Help Restore Brain Function

Wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers interact with parts of our bodies to measure and learn from internal processes, such as our heart rate or sleep stages. Now, MIT researchers have developed wearable devices that may be able to perform similar functions for individual cells inside the body. Read on to learn more.

Inside the OEM: Johnson & Johnson MedTech Maintaining Its Edge

Johnson & Johnson continues to advance its leadership in medtech and innovative medicine by focusing on high-growth, high-innovation markets. Recent strategic acquisitions have strengthened its cardiovascular portfolio, contributing to significant sales growth. Read on to learn more about the company, which is well positioned for sustained growth in 2025 and beyond.

From the Editor - Bipartisan Legislation Could Fast-Track Breakthrough Medical Devices

The U.S. Senate's bipartisan legislation to expedite Medicare coverage of FDA-breakthrough-designated medical technologies and diagnostic tests could significantly impact the medical device industry and manufacturers, streamlining processes for breakthrough devices, enhancing patient access, and reducing barriers to market entry. Read on to see what Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content, thinks about the matter.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on an enzyme that can aid drug design for aggressive cancers; one on a modified pacifier combined with AI algorithms to analyze data; one on Robert Wood discussing results that suggest omalizumab has the potential to be a life-changing medication for patients with food allergy, including those with multiple food allergies; and one on a novel framework to localize skin lesion correspondence.

Hourglass-Shaped Stent Could Ease Severe Chest Pain from Microvascular Disease

A study at Mayo Clinic suggests that an hourglass-shaped stent could improve blood flow and ease severe and reoccurring chest pain in people with microvascular disease. Of 30 participants in a phase 2 clinical trial, 76 percent saw improvement in their day-to-day life. Read on to learn more.

Researchers Develop Wireless Brain Neural Signal Recorder

Researchers have developed a fully embedded wireless brain neural signal recorder. The device was created by Prof. Jang Kyung-in. Read on to learn more.

Imaging

What medical device, invented in 1895 and often used in holiday-related injuries like falling from ladders while decorating for the holidays, was first publicly demonstrated just days before Christmas?

2024 Create the Future Design Contest: Honorable Mentions

See the honorable mentions from the 2024 Create the Future Design Contest, including the Vivally System, the only FDA-cleared, closed-loop, athome, noninvasive neuromodulation device system; PyrAmes, a digital health company focused on fundamentally transforming healthcare delivery through continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring that is accurate, wireless, and noninvasive; Battelle's platform for the discovery of novel polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) delivery vehicles; and more.

Innovators in Healthcare: Cancer-Fighting Immunotherapy Wins Grand Prize

The 22nd annual Create the Future Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and Mouser Electronics, drew innovative product ideas from engineers and students more than 55 countries from around the world. A competition among the finalists from all categories took place November 15, at which the judges selected NETrolyze: A Novel Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer as the grand prize winner.

2024 Create the Future Design Contest: Medical Grand Prize Winner - NETrolyze

Learn more about the 2024 Create the Future Design Contest Medical Grand Prize Winner: NETrolyze, a Novel Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Device Shows Promise for Noninvasive Treatment of Chronic Pain

Researchers at the University of Utah’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine have published promising findings about an experimental therapy that has given many participants pain relief after a single treatment session. Read on to learn more.