Materials/​Biomaterials

Flexible Film Senses Nearby Movements

A soft, flexible film senses the presence of nearby objects without physically touching them. The study features the new sensor technology to detect eyelash proximity in blink-tracking glasses. Read on to learn more.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on research that pioneers transformative approaches to intuitively control prosthetic devices; one on how medical professionals can map the radiation dose within the body, giving them new data to guide treatments in real time; one on a new smart material that is activated by both heat and electricity; and one on what bats can teach us about co-existing with viruses and preventing severe disease.

Powering Wearable Devices with High-Performing Carbon Nanotube Yarns

The proposed novel approach holds promise for enhancing the thermoelectric performance of CNT materials from yarns to films and bulk structures.

Programmable Materials Help Heal Broken Bones

Natural materials like bone, bird feathers and wood have an intelligent approach to physical stress distribution, despite their irregular architectures. However, the relationship between stress...

On-Skin Wearable Bioelectronic Device Uses Breathable, Stretchable Material

Researchers at the University of Missouri have made a significant breakthrough in their ongoing development of an on-skin wearable bioelectronic device. Zheng Yan’s lab recently added an important component to the team’s existing ultrasoft, breathable and stretchable material. The key feature: wireless charging — without batteries — through a magnetic connection.

Thermally Engineering Templates for Highly Ordered Self-Assembled Materials

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor have developed a template material that carries almost no heat and therefore stops heat transfer between the template material itself and the solidifying eutectic material.

Elastomer Material Flexibility Optimizes Performance

When specifying a high-performance material for a medical device application, temperature, chemical environment and compatibility, hardness, compression set resistance, and certification considerations quickly build stringent material requirements. Expert suppliers consult with OEMs to think creatively, support product development, and collaborate to find solutions that will deliver necessary results.

Hair-Thin Semiconductor Fibers Woven into Fabrics

Scientists have developed ultra-thin semiconductor fibers that can be woven into fabrics, turning them into smart wearable electronics.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on a smart material that's activated by both heat and electricity, one on new materials and applications for medicine, one on a new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a much wider range of materials, and one on the next generation of polymers for 3D printing.

Novel ‘Bone Bandage’ Material for Cracked Bones

Researchers have developed a biomimetic scaffold that generates electrical signals upon the application of pressure by utilizing the unique osteogenic ability of hydroxyapatite (HAp). HAp is...

From the Editor: The 2023 Products of the Year

This year, our two winners both focus on materials designed to address the special needs of the healthcare industry. Read on to learn the winners of the 2023 Medical Design Briefs’ Readers’ Choice Products of the Year.

Producing a Magic Wand for Pain-Free Dental Treatments

Some people do not go the dentist out of fear, thereby risking a worsening of untreated tooth damage. However, some dental practices offer patients a gentle alternative: The Wand – STA System from Milestone Scientific.

Metamaterial: Stretchable Wearable Thermoelectric Energy Harvester

A team has developed a technology that can increase the flexibility and efficiency of a thermoelectric generator to the world’s highest level by using mechanical metamaterials that do not exist in nature.

Using Static Electricity to Enhance Biomedical Implants

Researchers have created electrostatic materials that function even with extremely weak ultrasound, heralding the era of permanent implantable electronic devices in biomedicine.

Acquisition Announcement: Trelleborg Acquires LSR Company Baron Group

Trelleborg Group is strengthening its position in healthcare & medical by taking yet another major step forward. Trelleborg has, through its business area Trelleborg...

Case Study: Materials that Transform Wound Healing

Chronic wounds afflict millions of people. If not treated adequately, they can lead to severe complications, including amputation of limbs. Denver-based has Vaporox developed a medical...

Design Alley: An Alternative to PTFE

SABIC will feature new and existing material solutions for potential use in critical medical devices through the company’s exhibition (booth #3287) and in two presentations at MD&M West. On...

Conductive, Cotton-Based Fiber for Smart Textiles

A single strand of fiber has the flexibility of cotton and the electric conductivity of a polymer, called polyaniline. The newly developed material showed good potential for wearable e-textiles. Researchers tested the fibers with a system that powered an LED light and another that sensed ammonia gas.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Advanced silicone molding services offered by AMETEK EMC.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including precision injection molding from Medbio; Covestro's Makrolon 3638 polycarbonate; laser processing systems from Amada Weld Tech; biocompatible adhesives, sealants, and potting materials from EpoxySet; brushless ECX speed motors from maxon; and more.

Materials Transform Surgical Catheters, Enable Repeatable Tests in IVD Cartridges

Medical devices are becoming smaller and smaller, and the need for advanced material solutions keeps growing. Through our deep understanding and application of fundamental chemistry, Chemours materials have emerged as effective alternatives — helping innovators in the medical industry achieve continued success across medical device design.

Shape-Shifting Robotic Catheter Could Make Heart Surgery Safer

A beating heart makes for a formidable surgical arena, but a new robotic catheter could someday equip surgeons to operate in the cardiac environment with greater ease.

The Use of Parylene-Coated Mandrels in the Balloon Catheter Manufacturing Process

The process of manufacturing high-quality and reliable balloon catheters is critical to a number of advanced medical treatments for patients including balloon angioplasty, stent and drug delivery, transcatheter aortic valve implantation, atherectomy, renal denervation, and laser balloon angioplasty.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including an ultrathin cable module for single-use endoscopes from Omnivision, CUI Inc's dc-dc converter, Vision Engineering's stereo microscopes, Henkel's expanded portfolio for wearables, SupplyOne's packaging solutions, and more.

Bioink Enhances 3D Bioprinted Skeletal Muscle Constructs

An advancement in 3D bioprinting of native-like skeletal muscle tissues has been made by scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI).

Multimodal Graphene-Based E-Textiles

Instead of using toxic chemicals or optical masks for patterning, a research team used laser direct patterning technology to form laser-induced graphene (LIG) on e-textiles and successfully manufactured graphene-based e-textiles.