Materials & Manufacturing

Material selection plays an important role in the design of a medical device or bioprocessing system. It can improve end-user satisfaction, product reliability, and manufacturability of the device, as well as simplify the 510(k) application process. Various certifications such as animal-derivative-free, USP...

The same piezoelectric effect that ignites a gas grill could one day power sensors in the body via human respiration. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a piezoelectric polymer, to develop a host of biomedical devices that could monitor blood...

Medical device manufacturers that collect and analyze patient data are developing innovative ways to integrate electronics and wireless technology into their products. These innovations often present new design and production challenges. That was the case for American TeleCare Inc. (Eden Prairie,...

According to an interview published in MIT Sloan Management Review, innovation expert Eric von Hippel argues that product innovation comes, fundamentally, from users who improvise and improve upon existing products — not companies that manufacture those technologies. It may be the case...

The Tacit, a haptic sonar glove that helps a visually impaired person navigate complex environments, has been released as a public prototype. The invention uses ultrasonic sensors to sense objects from about 1 inch to 10 feet away, and translates that information into pressure on the user's wrist.

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a memory device that is soft, functions well in wet environments, and features “the physical properties of Jell-O,” according to Dr. Michael Dickey, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC...

An article from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society calls attention to a recent study published in Ergonomics in Design, "Using Storytelling to Elicit Design Guidance for Medical Devices." In the study, human factors/ergonomics researchers evaluated the use of storytelling as a qualitative research...