Materials/​Biomaterials

Materials Help Manage Side Effects of Brain Pacemakers

A team at the Nanostructured and Novel Materials Laboratory at the University of Tabriz has created organic materials for brain and heart pacemakers that rely on uninterrupted signal delivery to be effective. Read on to learn more.

Prosthetic Material Could Help Reduce Infections from Intravenous Catheters

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers have created realistic, skin-like replicas made of Ecoflex, a type of silicone rubber that can potentially serve as a platform to evaluate risks of bacterial infections from intravenous catheters and test wearable sensors, among other biomedical applications. Read on to learn what the study found.

3D Printing Shape-Changing Materials

Researchers have helped create a new 3D printing approach for shape-changing materials that are likened to muscles, opening the door for improved applications in robotics as well as biomedical and energy devices. Read on to learn more.

Silicones A Skin-Friendly Gamma-Sterilizable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive

Traditionally, silicone PSAs, which are the most skin-friendly adhesives for attaching medical devices to the skin, could only be sterilized with EtO. However, a new silicone PSA is capable of enduring sterilizing doses of gamma radiation. This recent advancement enables numerous new applications for silicone PSAs in medical devices that were previously unattainable. Read on to learn more.

The Vital Role of TPE Tubing in Scalability and Rapid Deployment

This article explores the critical role that thermoplastic elastomer biopharmaceutical tubing plays in enabling scalability and rapid deployment — a duo of factors that can make all the difference in the industry. Read on to learn more.

Toroidal Micro Robot Swims Autonomously

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in soft robotics. Their study introduces the first toroidal, light-driven microrobot that can move autonomously in viscous liquids, such as mucus. Read on to learn more.

MD&M West Show Preview

Previously known as Informa Markets Engineering (IME) West, hosting five co-located shows — MD&M West, ATX West, D&M West, Plastec West, and WestPack — these related industry sectors are now merging into a single unified show: MD&M West. The focus of the conference and trade show is not changing. Read on to learn more.

Adhesive Bonding of Plastics in Medical Devices, Part 2: Material Properties of Plastics

Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the December 2024 issue, focused on the factors and requirements for selecting adhesives for use in medical devices. Part 2 delves more into the material properties of plastics for medical device assembly.

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.

Solvent-Free 3D Printing Material Could Enable Biodegradable Implants

In a paper published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, researchers at Duke University have invented a new solvent-free polymer for DLP printing. Besides eliminating the shrinkage problem, the lack of solvent also results in improved mechanical properties of the part while maintaining the ability to degrade in the body. Read on to learn more.

3D Printed Active Fabric

Scientists have developed an innovative wearable fabric that is flexible but can stiffen on demand. Developed through a combination of geometric design, 3D printing, and robotic control, the new technology, RoboFabric, can quickly be made into medical devices or soft robotics. Read on to learn more about it.

Hydrogel Implant Treats Endometriosis

Researchers have now developed the first hydrogel implant designed for use in fallopian tubes. This innovation performs two functions: one is to act as a contraceptive, the other is to prevent the recipient from developing endometriosis in the first place or to halt the spread if they do. Read on to learn more.

Making Bandages from Artificial Spider Silk

Researchers have made their own version of fake spider silk, but this one consists of proteins and heals wounds instead of haunting hallways. The artificial silk is strong enough to be woven into...

Product of the Month

See the product of the month, Bally Ribbon Mills' product line of medical textiles and fabrics ideal for use in cardiovascular, orthopedic, and dental prosthetic applications. Read on to learn more about it.

Material Improves Implantable Technology

Borophene is more conductive, thinner, lighter, stronger, and more flexible than graphene, the 2D version of carbon. Now, researchers have made the material potentially more useful by imparting chirality — or handedness — on it. Read on to learn what this could mean for advanced sensors and implantable medical devices.

Wearable Devices Get Signal Boost from Innovative Material

An international team of researchers developed the material by embedding clusters of highly dielectric ceramic nanoparticles into an elastic polymer. The material was reverse-engineered to not only mimic skin elasticity and motion types, but also to adjust its dielectric properties to counter the disruptive effects of motion on interfacing electronics, minimize energy loss and dissipate heat.

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.