Topic

On/Off Functionality for Fast, Sensitive, Ultra-Small Technologies

An ultra-small actuator has nanometer-scale precision.

Making the Structure of ‘Fire Ice’ with Nanoparticles

Cage structures made with nanoparticles could be a step toward making organized nanostructures with mixed materials, and researchers at the University of Michigan have shown how to achieve this through computer simulations.

Algae-Powered Devices Inspired by Bioluminescent Waves

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed soft devices containing algae that glow in the dark when experiencing mechanical stress, such as being squished, stretched, twisted, or bent.

Self-Organizing Lasers Could Lead to New Materials

Researchers from Imperial College London and University College London have demonstrated the first spontaneously self-organizing laser device, which can reconfigure when conditions change.

Alternative Transparent Coating Suitable for Optics with Vacuum Deposition Layer

Researchers have developed a viable dust, water, and ice mitigation optical coating for space flight, aeronautical, and ground applications. The innovation of the LOTUS coating prevents contamination on sensitive surfaces.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including an automatic wafer measurement system, the Model J350G jig grinder from Mitsui Seiki, DieQua Corporation's PHCH-Planetary Reducer, and new additions to SCHURTER's MSM momentary pushbutton switch series.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including NASA Ames Research Center's artificial gravity modules, the Compliant Legged Articulated Robotic Insect, and injection-free diabetes control.

Product of The Month

See the product of the month: Pickering Interfaces' new family of modular, flexible PXI/ PXIe microwave switches.

Inside the OEM: Intuitive Surgical

For nearly three decades, Intuitive Surgical has been a leader in robotic-assisted surgical systems. The company is driven by creating a healthcare future that is less invasive and where diseases are identified early and treated quickly. As a mature company, Intuitive is focusing on adoption of its systems.

Closer to the Patient: Miniaturization of Point-of-Care Testing Devices

The global market for both point-of-care testing instruments and home-use medical devices is expected to grow rapidly over the coming decades. To meet this demand, developers will continue to design products that are smaller, less complex, and easier to use.

Simplifying Device Design with PCB Connectors

As medical devices become more complex, designers must use the available spaces within their devices more efficiently. Several PCBs often have to be connected in the tightest of spaces.

Pioneering the Future of Healthcare: Meet the Trailblazing 2023 Medical Finalist and Honorable Mentions

The 21st annual “Create the Future” Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and...

Wearable Detects Stress Hormone 24 Hours

The technology, funded by an EU Horizon 2020 project grant, shows how tracking adrenal steroid levels at high resolution and over an extended time period can provide better information about how hormone levels change across daily (circadian) and faster (ultradian) time periods.

Al-Enabled Sensor Offers Holistic Wound Monitoring

The PETAL (Paper-like Battery-free In situ AI-enabled Multiplexed) sensor patch comprises of five colorimetric sensors that can determine the patient’s wound healing status within 15 minutes by measuring a combination of biomarkers.

Minimally Invasive Smart Glaucoma Implants

A minimally invasive and smart glaucoma implant has the potential to decrease the incidence of postoperative complications. The biodegradable glaucoma implant is approximately the same size as the world’s smallest medical device known to be implanted in the human body.

Wearable Sensor Makes Continuous Analysis of Sweat Possible

Made with a laser-modified graphene nanocomposite material, a wearable device can detect specific glucose levels in sweat for three weeks while simultaneously monitoring body temperature and pH levels.

Nature-Inspired Pressure Sensing Technology

A novel aero-elastic pressure sensor, called eAir can be applied to minimally invasive surgeries and implantable sensors by directly addressing the challenges associated with existing pressure sensors.

Drug-Delivery Platform Uses Sound for Targeting

Research teams have created an entirely new kind of drug-delivery system to give doctors the ability to treat cancer in a more targeted way. The system employs drugs that are activated by ultrasound — and only right where they are needed in the body.

Software: Optimized, Personalized Treatments for Movement Impairments

A team of Rice University engineers has launched a first-of-its-kind, open-source software that constructs and uses personalized computer models of how individual...

Digital Power for Medical Applications

An aging population and a recognition that early detection of ailments enhances life expectancy and reduces costs mean that the number of healthcare applications is growing rapidly. While powering...

Ultra-Thin Battery Powered by Saline for Smart Contact Lenses

Scientists have developed a flexible battery as thin as a human cornea, which stores electricity when it is immersed in saline solution, and which could one day power smart...

New Products & Services

Supercapacitor Modules Double-layer, series-connected electrochemical supercapacitor modules are now available from Kyocera AVX, Fountain Inn, SC. The new SCM Series modules can be used by themselves or in conjunction...

Product Focus: Manufacturing/Assembly Equipment

Cryogenic Deflashing Cryogenic deflashing with fine blast media is available from Nitrofreeze® Cryogenic Solutions, Worcester, MA Nitrofreeze cryogenic deflashing is an automated,...

From The Editor: The Art of Finding the Perfect Color for Medical Devices

The selection of colors for medical devices can be a complex process that takes into account various factors, including functionality, safety, aesthetics, branding, and regulatory requirements. But where do you start? See what Editor and Director of Medical Content Sherrie Trigg says.

Active Implantables: Put Design at the Heart of the Process

Implantable medical devices may be nothing new — doctors have been inserting things like pacemakers and cochlear implants into their patients’ bodies for decades — but as the relationship between people and technology becomes ever more co-dependent.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on an infrared imager that can be used to easily locate an individual’s blood vessels while monitoring heart rate at the same time, an origami-inspired medical patch for minimally invasive surgery, and more.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: a micro diaphragm gas pump from KNF Neuberger.