Electronics

SiC Power Delivery for ‘Big Iron’ Medical Devices

SiC MOSFETs can operate efficiently at much higher switching speeds than silicon devices and can withstand high applied voltages as well as high operating temperatures. Read on to learn what this means for "big iron" medical devices.

2025 Rising Star Awards Winners

SAE Media Group’s Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards program shines the spotlight on trailblazers who not only excel in their respective domains but also stroke the flames of inspiration in others. This year’s awards program features six categories: Aerospace/Defense, Automotive/Transportation, Electronics, Manufacturing/Materials, Medical, and Robotics, Automation and AI. In this special section, you’ll meet the winners in all six categories.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on the “Robot Eyes” project; one on how researchers have found an unusual ally in the quest to make cancer diagnosis faster, more accurate, and more accessible worldwide: the Morpho butterfly; one on advances in AI and biocomputational models aiming to revolutionize the drug development process; and more.

Cybersecurity: Addressing Cyber Threats and Safety in Medical Devices

Best Practices for Securing Medical Devices In this season, we are taking an in-depth look at addressing cyber threats and safety in medical devices, and this episode...

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.

Precision in Miniature: New Microgripper Technology for Electronics and Assembly

Researchers at the Beijing Institute of Technology have unveiled an innovative electrothermal microgripper that promises to improve microelectronics, biomedical engineering, and MEMS applications. With its remarkable deformation capabilities, excellent size compatibility and reliable catch strength, the microgripper enables the manipulation and assembly of micro- and nano-scale objects with exceptional efficiency. Read on to learn more about it.

The FDA’s Role in Medical Device Cybersecurity

The regulatory landscape of medical device cybersecurity, focusing on the FDA's guidelines and requirements.

Best Practices for Securing Medical Devices

Strategies and best practices for securing medical devices.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including precision metering pumps from Circor International; a high-performance gantry robot with an integrated slip roller conveyor system from Dispense Works; XP Power's range of compact, low-profile AC-DC power supplies with flexible cooling options; Festo's updated mass flow controller; and much more.

Elevated CO2 Levels on the ISS: Unmasking a Hidden Risk of DNA Damage for Astronauts

While DNA damage caused by space radiation exposure has long been recognized as a major threat to astronaut health, a recent study published in Redox Biology reveals an unexpected culprit in the atmosphere of the ISS itself: elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. In this study, mice were sent into space where they spent 5–6 week aboard the ISS. Read on to learn more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including a new reciprocating head for medical tubing from Guill Tool; EpoxySet's state-of-the-art UV adhesives, the UV-8675, specifically designed for bonding PVC tubing in medical devices; Mahr Inc.'s expanded length measurement product line; Zeus' latest addition to its StreamLiner series of ultra-thin-walled catheter liners; and more.

From the Editor - The 2024 Product of the Year

In December, we asked Medical Design Briefs readers to cast their ballot to choose from our eight Products of the Month the technology they felt was the most significant new introduction to the design engineering community in 2024. Here is the winner of the 2024 Medical Design Briefs’ Readers’ Choice Product of the Year. Read on to learn more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month, LEMO's expanded current range of high-voltage connectors that offer 5 kV on 26 or 34 contacts within a compact Ø 18 mm design.

Product Focus: Power Supplies

See where the product focus is this month: power supplies, including XP Power's family of single-output, PCB-mounting AC-DC power modules; a 3W medical DC-DC converter in a compact DIP case available from Micropower Direct; Advanced Energy Industries' 4 KJ capacitor charging unit with an integrated configurable 800 W AC-DC power supply designed to power medical laser applications; and more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including an auto-zero valve from Superior Sensor Technology; binder's angled panel-mount connectors; AMADA WELD TECH's integration of blue laser technology into its suite of micro welding technologies; maxon's high-efficiency joint drive; and more.

Researchers Develop Microchips That Detect and Diagnose Diseases

New research from NYU shows it’s possible to develop and build microchips that can not only identify multiple diseases from a single cough or air sample, but can also be produced at scale. Read on to learn more.

Soft Microelectronics Enable Wearable AI for Digital Health

A research team has introduced a groundbreaking wearable in-sensor computing platform. This platform is built on an emerging microelectronic device, an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT), invented explicitly for bioelectronics applications. Read on to learn more about it.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including an IEC connector from Schurter; Raltron's series of electromagnetic buzzers; Midwest Interventional Systems' extrusion ordering system; SGS' expanded spray drug-delivery testing capabilities; Prima Power's latest addition to its 2D laser technology portfolio; ANCA's peel grinding platform designed to reduce cycle time; and more.

Product Showcase

See the product showcase, which includes Accumold All-Plastic Molded Cannula technology; Arnold Magnetic Technologies' thin metals and flexible composite solutions; the OmniCure® S2000 Elite; Omnetics’ Nano-D connectors; the Lee Company’s Full Isolation Dual Seal Precision Dispense Pump; and much more.

Bioelectronic Device Offers New Hope in the Fight Against Bacterial Infections

Researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California – San Diego have made an exciting breakthrough in the battle against bacterial infections. The labs have developed a cutting-edge bioelectronic device that taps into the natural electrical activity of certain bacteria found on our skin, paving the way for a drug-free approach to managing infections. Read on to learn more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Advanced Energy's series of high-isolation, low-leakage current AC-DC power supplies that enable medical equipment designers to meet the cardiac floating requirements of the IEC 60601-1 medical safety standard using off-the-shelf products. Read on to learn more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including an angle sensor from ASM Sensors; Raltron's line of mobile speakers with IP67/68 ratings; laboratory sinks from Hemco; a precision-engineered electronic valve from Clippard; Vision Engineering's optical stereo microscope technology; and much more.

Implantable Miniature Brain-Machine Interface Offers Low Power Usage

Researchers at EPFL have developed the first high-performance, miniaturized brain-machine interface (MiBMI), offering an extremely small, low-power, highly accurate, and versatile solution. Read on to learn about it.

Exploring Electrosurgery: Current Trends and Challenges

Electrosurgery continues to evolve, driven by advancements in technology and a growing demand for minimally invasive surgical techniques. Pulsed field ablation represents a cutting-edge development in the field, offering a novel approach to tissue ablation with the potential to revolutionize the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and other clinical conditions. As research and innovation in electrosurgery progress, the future holds promise for further improving patient outcomes and advancing the practice of medicine. Read on to learn more.

How Printed Electronics Are Transforming Healthcare

The convergence of healthcare and technology is reshaping patient care, and printed electronics are pivotal in this transformation. Printed electronics offer promising solutions, enabling real-time monitoring and proactive patient management for improved outcomes. Read on to learn more.

Finger Pouch Actuator Improves Rehab Gloves

Researchers have succeeded in adding finger straightening or extension to soft rehabilitation gloves through a novel foldable pouch actuator (FPA) without compromising the already existing functionality of finger bending or flexion. Read on to learn more about it.

Twisted Nanotubes Power Sensors

Researchers have shown that twisted carbon nanotubes can store three times more energy per unit mass than advanced lithium-ion batteries. The finding may advance carbon nanotubes as a promising solution for storing energy in devices that need to be lightweight, compact, and safe, such as medical implants and sensors. Read on to learn more.

How to Design Reliable, Low-Power Wearable Medicine Injectors

Advances in IoT and electronic technology are enabling more personalized, continuous medical care. People with medical conditions that require a high degree of monitoring and continuous medication infusion can now take advantage of wearable medicine injection devices to treat their problems. Read on to learn more.

Cybersecurity

October is national cybersecurity month, and it is more important than ever to address ever-increasing cyber threats healthcare systems and devices. When was the term cybersecurity coined, and who deployed the first virus?