All articles by antonica jones
antonica jones
The future of implants: smart, electronic implanatables
In 1958, the first pacemaker fully embedded in the human body began its work. No one believed the technique would be a success. But today, in Germany alone, about 130,000 patients each year receive such an implant, giving them a significantly improved quality of life. CEO of IVAM Thomas Dietrich explores the future of this pioneering technology.
Chip off the old block: organs-on-chips
Lined with living human cells, USB-stick-sized organs-on-chips mimic the tissue structures and mechanical motions of human organs, promising to accelerate drug discovery, decrease development costs and reduce animal testing. Natalie Healey speaks to Professor Donald Ingber, founding director of the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, about the impact the device – which recently won Design of the Year – could have on the future of medicine.
Turn a blind eye: building a bionic eye
A novel retinal prosthesis could enable blind patients to see again. Natalie Healey speaks to Robert J Greenberg, chairman of the board at Second Sight, about how one goes about building a bionic eye.
Smart patch: the wearable insulin needle
A tiny wearable insulin patch made from extremely biocompatible materials could have huge impacts on diabetes patients’ quality of life within the next decade. Elly Earls meets the man behind the invention, Zhen Gu, to find out more.
Packaging that puts on a show: innovation meets regulation
The need to comply with stringent regulations and customer demands can limit medical device manufacturers’ freedom to innovate in packaging. In an increasingly busy and commercial industry, however, creative packaging can be crucial to a product’s success. Paul Marshall of Smith & Nephew explains.
Head to toe: brain-controlled prosthetics
Brain-controlled motion devices have been making headlines over the last few years, promising greater motor control for amputees and the possibility of restoring some function to the limbs of paraplegic patients. Sarah Williams looks at two promising new developments in the field, speaking to Dr Thorvaldur Ingvarsson of leading orthopaedics company Össur, and Dr Zoran Nenadic, Dr Christine King and Dr An Do from the University of California, Irvine.
A supercool breakthrough in donor organ storage
With waiting lists for organ transplants at an all-time high, there is a serious shortage of donor organs to go around; this is due in part to current preservation methods, which allow only a very short shelf life. However, emerging technologies could improve storage duration, enable transportation over longer distances and improve the odds that the organ remains intact. Dr Korkut Uygun, assistant professor in surgery at Harvard Medical School, explains the implications of these new developments.
Robots of medicine: MRI and surgery combined
While MRI allows surgeons an unparalleled glimpse into the structure of the human body, operations can only take place after the fact of a scan. A new surgical robot being developed at the Worcester Technical Institute promises to change that. Greg Noone talks to Dr Gregory Fischer about the device’s capabilities and potential.
The land of lasers: ultrashort-pulse lasers for fabrication
Implantable medical devices are becoming increasingly complex in order to improve patient outcomes, but these advances are proving challenging for the fabrication process. Eduard Fassbind, founder and CEO of Swisstec, explains why OEMs should consider ultrashort-pulse lasers for making these products.
The risk-reduction quest: printed circuit boards for implantable devices
Active implantable medical devices have tremendously improved the lives of millions of people around the world, and one of the critical components in its manufacture is the printed circuit board. This is not a simple component, however, and a wealth of regulations must be adhered to in order to reduce risks of failure and fatal complications. Daniel Puschmann, managing director at GS Swiss PCB, explores the reasons and requirements behind these industry regulations.