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Novel Metal Casting Process Could Benefit Medical Device Manufacturing
May 21, 2012 - 1:18PM
Add CommentMolds made using maskless photopolymerization technology and airfoil components produced using this technique could be applied to manufacturing medical device parts. (Georgia Tech photo by Gary Meek)Developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech; Atlanta), an all-digital method for casting metal components that allows manufacturers to make parts directly from computer-aided design (CAD) could change manufacturing practices, including in the medical device industry... -
Weekly Vitals: Recalls Soar in Q1, Breast Implant Scandal Plot Thickens, and More
May 18, 2012 - 2:55PM
Medical device recalls are on the rise, the Stericycle ExpertRECALL announced this week. The recall tracking group stated that recalls increased more than 160% in Q1 of 2012, which affected more than five times as many units as in the previous quarter. And speaking of recalls, the plot thickens in the case of the PIP breast implants as it was revealed this week that surgeons had notified the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as far back as 2006 with concerns regarding the... -
Innovative Medical Device for Developing Countries Hangs on by a Thread
May 16, 2012 - 2:38PM
Acting as a microfluidic channel, a simple piece of cotton thread is at the core of a novel diagnostic device developed by a team of students at Johns Hopkins University. Dubbed FeverPoint, the easy-to-use, lightweight, mobile self-test is designed to diagnose the underlying cause of a fever—such as malaria, bacterial pneumonia, or another infection—in developing countries."The future of medical device innovation is taking ordinary things and creating something lifesaving," says Omid Akhavan, a... -
Gamma Center Launches in Quebec
May 16, 2012 - 2:12PM
Sterilization services provider Nordion Inc. (Ottawa, Canada) has launched the Gamma Centre of Excellence (GCE), the goal of which is to advance gamma sterilization science. Formerly known as the Canadian Irradiation Centre, the GCE focuses on applied research and development, training, and specialty gamma processing for medical device, academic, and other customers in Canada and around the world.The GCE offers R&D, specialty contract irradiation services, and training to Nordion’s... -
Despite Challenges Ahead, Global Medical Device Market to Reach $415 Billion in 2016
May 16, 2012 - 1:13PM
Despite such potential upcoming challenges as cost-cutting trends, the impending U.S. medical device tax, and austerity programs in several major healthcare markets, the global medical device market is predicted to grow from $322 billion in 2011 to $415 billion in 2016, according to a new report by healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information. "The Global Market for Medical Devices, 3rd Edition," examines the current medical device market in addition to evaluating the potential... -
You're Hit with a Medical Device Recall—Now What?
May 15, 2012 - 5:28PM
Peaking with the spectacular recall of metal-on-metal orthopedic implants in 2010, the flood of news about medical device recalls has become a staple of the business and mainstream media alike. And the news just keeps coming. Now we learn that medical device recalls increased more than 160% in the first quarter of 2012, affecting more than five times more units than in the previous quarter. According to the ExpertRECALL Index, a report that aggregates and tracks cumulative recall data from the... -
New Biosensor Could Aid in Early Detection of Cancer
May 14, 2012 - 1:49PM
A new biosensor could be several hundred times more sensitive than other biosensors. (Image courtesy of Purdue University)Researchers at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) have developed an ultrasensitive biosensor that could eventually be used for early detection of cancer. The technology could also find its way into personalized medicine, in which it could be used to record an inventory of proteins and DNA for individual patients, improving diagnostics and treatment decisions.The new... -
Weekly Vitals: Boston Scientific Has a Worldly View, Who's Making Money in Medtech, and More
May 11, 2012 - 6:15PM
Boston Scientific's interim CEO offered up some insight this week on the medtech giant's corporate strategy as it looks to build on momentum gained from recent acquisitions, FDA approvals, and positive Q1 earnings. Hank Kucheman chatted with the Boston Herald in an exclusive interview this week about Boston Sci's "rejuvenated, revitalized product pipeline and a three-pronged strategy for global expansion." In other news, statistics were released on medical device engineering salaries. Find out... -
Ceramics Nanotechnology Enables Development of Disease-Detecting Breathalyzer
May 10, 2012 - 10:20AM
Breathalyzer technologies designed for diagnostic functions have generated a great deal of interest in recent years, promising detection of everything from cancer to the onset of an asthma attack from one sample breath. Now, a research team at Stony Brook University (New York), with support from the National Science Foundation, has developed a nanotechnology-based single breath disease diagnostics breathalyzer that it hopes could someday provide patients with an affordable means of managing... -
Minimally Invasive Device Market Poised for Continued Growth
May 10, 2012 - 6:58AM
Minimally invasive devices and surgical tools have flooded the market in recent years in response to the surging demand for medical devices and procedures that can reduce risk, trauma, and recovery time for patients. In light of the overwhelming success of such medical devices, the global minimally invasive surgical market was estimated at $23 billion in 2011 with an approximate annual growth rate of 8% during the next five years, according to a report by global market research and consulting... -
Researchers Develop Hip New Hip Implant Material Combination
May 3, 2012 - 5:27PM
A new hip implant developed by Fraunhofer researchers combines a PEEK hip socket and a ceramic femoral head. (Photo courtesy of Fraunhofer IPA)The problems associated with metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implants are familiar to millions, including medical device industry experts, patients, and personal-injury law firms. For example, MoM implants based on cobalt-chromium alloys are thought to release elevated ion levels into the body that spread through the blood and lymph systems, causing... -
Tufts Researchers Create Strong Silk Bone-Repair Scaffolds
April 30, 2012 - 5:22PM
Biomedical engineers at Tufts University (Medford, MA) have demonstrated the first all-polymeric bone scaffold repair material that is fully biodegradable and can provide significant mechanical support. Employing micron-sized silk fibers to reinforce a silk matrix, the new technology could possibly improve how bones and other tissues are repaired following accidents or diseases.As reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition, the Tufts researchers were... -
Wireless Medical Devices Are Poised to Cut the Cord
April 30, 2012 - 4:26PM
The May issue of Medical Product Manufacturing News (MPMN) will be publishing an article on the growing ability of medical device designers and manufacturers to incorporate sensors with wireless connectivity into a range of medical devices, from ECGs to pulse oximeters. This capability represents an important step forward for the medical device manufacturing industry because it enables physicians and patients alike to dispense with cords and cables, which get in the way of medical care and... -
Tracking and Transparency: The Keys to Improving Medical Device Quality
April 27, 2012 - 5:22PM
Nora IluriQmed has partnered with Clarimed to provide DeviceMatters, providing access to and analysis of medical device approval specifics, postmarket safety performance, and typical failure modes. The intention of the partnership is to help medical device professionals to better understand the regulatory and medical device landscape. Qmed/MPMN editors recently spoke with Nora Iluri, founder and CEO of Clarimed and DeviceMatters, on the current spike in adverse events, industry reporting... -
Ontario, Canada: Taking Medical Device Manufacturing to a Higher Level
April 27, 2012 - 1:55PM
Tofy Mussivand and a colleague inspect a microfluidics device used for cell electroporation and lysis. (Photo courtesy of MDI2)Last week, I conducted an interview with Tofy Mussivand, director and CEO of the Medical Devices Innovation Institute (MDI2) at the University of Ottawa. The purpose of the conversation was to inform my Regional Focus article on Ontario scheduled for the May issue of Medical Product Manufacturing News (MPMN). However, readers may enjoy a sneak preview of Mussivand’s... -
Serious Adverse Events Triple in Three Years: Is Risk or Reporting to Blame?
April 25, 2012 - 5:39AM
By Nora Iluri, founder and CEO, Clarimed and DeviceMattersDoubling during the past three years, more than 400,000 medical device adverse event reports were submitted to FDA in 2011, according to healthcare rating agency DeviceMatters. Perhaps even more shocking, however, is the 45% annual growth rate and more than 50,000 reported serious patient outcomes—defined as hospitalization or worse—associated with medical device malfunctions or defects in 2011. But is this rapid rise in recent... -
New MIT Coating Could Help Reduce Orthopedic Implant Failure
April 23, 2012 - 2:09PM
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles are incorporated into multilayer coatings for faster bone tissue growth. (Image courtesy of the Paula Hammond Lab at MIT)Everyone gets older, but different medical conditions affect people at different ages. For the huge cohort of baby boomers, orthopedic maladies associated with such parts of the body as hips and knees pose a particular challenge. But at the medical device design and manufacturing end of the spectrum, such orthopedic conditions represent a... -
Weekly Vitals: St. Jude Down in Q1, FDA Rips European Approval System, and More
April 22, 2012 - 12:44PM
St. Jude reported an unsurprising 9% drop in Q1 earnings this week attributed to weak heart-rhythm sales in the wake of image woes and skepticism following the Riata lead recall in December. Also this week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune ran an interesting story highlighting FDA's view of Europe's medical device approval process while medical device hacking once again nabbed headlines. Read these and other top stories of the week in our weekly roundup below.St. Jude Profit Falls on Weak Heart-... -
Treating Cancer Using Protein-Synthesizing Nanoparticles
April 19, 2012 - 10:53AM
Nanoparticles can produce proteins when ultraviolet light is shone on them. In this case, a green fluorescent protein was used. (Image by Avi Schroeder)The development of new drug-delivery platforms, especially those for treating cancers, has long been a major goal of the medical device industry. Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge, MA) have developed a nanoparticle that can synthesize proteins on demand. After the particles reach their designated... -
Legos Form Building Blocks of Automated Process for Making Synthetic Bone
April 18, 2012 - 12:59PM
Engineering researchers at the University of Cambridge (UK) have turned playtime into productivity. In a burst of creativity, the team employed Lego robotics to build a simple, inexpensive robot that effectively automates processing of synthetic bone.Using hydroxyapatite-gelatin composites, the engineers are developing synthetic bone that boasts low energy costs in addition to closely resembling real human tissue. But achieving such a material can be labor intensive and rather tedious,...
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