Sterilization

Technology Responds Swiftly to Worldwide Pandemics

The products that help stop the spread of communicable diseases range from simple to sophisticated.

Prototype to Mass Production for Single-Use Instruments

Single-use surgical instruments designed to be disposed or recycled following use offer many benefits over reusable products.

Achieving High Marks for Medical Device Makers: Ultrashort Pulse Lasers

Unique device identifiers, or UDIs, enable better reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse events.

Coating Releases Antimicrobial Peptides

A coating can be applied to endotracheal tubes and release antimicrobial peptides that target infectious bacteria with specificity.

Show Preview: MD&M West

MD&M West brings together medtech engineers, business leaders, and innovative thinkers to create life-changing medical devices.

Antimicrobial Surface Reduces Bacteria Buildup on Medical Instruments

Researchers have engineered new antimicrobial surfaces that can significantly reduce the formation of bacteria on medical instruments, such as urinary catheters, and reduce the risk of patient infection while in hospital.

All-in-One Device Uses Microwave Power

An innovative system may provide a new option to use directed energy for biomedical applications.

2021 Resource Guide

Our 2021 Resource Guide shows you the top manufacturers in materials, manufacturing, and a range of other medical-device categories.

Surgical Sutures Inspired by Human Tendons

Next-generation sutures can deliver drugs, prevent infections, and monitor wounds.

Bioactive Implant Coatings Resistant to Most Bacterial Strains

The coatings prevent inflammation or implant rejection.

Self-Sterilizing Polymers Work Against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have demonstrated that a family of self-sterilizing polymers are effective at inactivating coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19.

2020 Product Buyer's Guide

In our 2020 Product Buyer's Guide, you'll find a list of manufacturers in more than a dozen medical-device areas.

Inside Story: Nordion

Nordion is one of the pioneers in using Cobalt-60 for gamma sterilization. The company has been building irradiators and shipping Cobalt sources around the world for more than 50 years and continues to be a leader...

New Products and Services: August 2020 Medical Design Briefs

Shielding materials, static control, 3D printing software, and more.

NASA, University Hospitals Join Forces in Response to COVID-19

NASA’s Glenn Research Center and University Hospitals (UH) in Cleveland have collaborated to develop new methods and technologies for decontaminating personal protective...

What You Should Ask Yourself When Designing a Wearable Medical Device

For wearable devices to function as intended, they need to have a secure, reliable hold for the desired duration of use.

FDA Launches Pilot Program to Advance Innovation in EtO Sterilization

FDA has created a new pilot program for industry to expedite approvals of certain changes to ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization processes and facilities. In an effort to...

Ultraviolet Rays Quickly Bash Bacteria on Mobile Devices

Ultraviolet light has been used for more than 30 years as a source of disinfectant. A newly introduced product uses the technology to eliminate bacteria on cell phones, tablets and...

Guide to Package Integrity & Validation Testing under ISO 11607 and MDR

Updates to ISO 11607, Parts 1 and 2, have left many medical device manufacturers wondering about the future of their packaging designs. These changes come at a stressful...

Venting Technology Improves Sterilization of Surgical Instruments, Helps Fight HAIs

Porex, a developer of porous polymer solutions, and Guangdong Xianfeng Medical Technology Co., Ltd. have teamed up to develop a sterile container that will...

Advancing the Evolution of Skin-Contact Adhesion Technology

Whether used in wound care products, ostomy applications, or for adhering wearable devices to skin, advanced pressure-sensitive adhesives are being created to improve breathability,...

Tubing and Hose Buying: Top 20 Tips

It can be challenging to make sure you've covered all the bases during the tubing and hose selection process for medical instrumentation. For each application, there are many elements to consider,...

Inside Story: Eurofins Medical Device Testing

Ensuring Reusable Devices Are Safe for the Next Patient

Advances in manufacturing technologies are fostering an age of unprecedented innovation in the development of reusable medical devices...

Design for Manufacturing: Tips for Molding Components in Silicone

Device functionality is usually the starting point when designing devices. Another element that needs to be considered when designing devices and their subsequent components...

Four-Step Plastic Testing Protocol: Making Informed Design and Material Decisions

Medical devices across the United States must not only keep pace with advances in technology but also with the increased use of harsh solvents and...

RFID for Medical Device and Surgical Instrument Tracking

Ensuring patient safety and quality of care has become an increasingly technology-reliant process for most healthcare providers. With 4,000 reported “retained surgery items” cases...

Reusable Medical Devices: BI Selection, Overkill Validation Approaches, and First-Time Validation Pass Rates in Common Healthcare Steam Sterilization Cycles

When validating the steam sterilization instructions for a reusable medical device,...

E-beam Sterilization: The Impact on Skin-Contact Adhesives for Medical Applications

The performance of adhesives used for wearable medical device applications is critical to the efficacy of the final product, as an improperly affixed device...

From the Editor — 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...