All articles by antonica jones
antonica jones
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.
Implantable devices powered by heartbeats
Tiny power generators developed by the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois could eliminate the need for batteries in medical devices. Medical Device Developments speaks to Professor John A Rogers, scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to find out more about the impact the research could have on power management in medicine.
Stay secure in the connected internet-of-things world
Medical device manufacturers are moving into the internet-of-things space, producing devices with increased connectivity and upgradability. Such approaches, however, render these products more susceptible to security threats and counterfeiting. Oliver Winzenried, CEO of Wibu-Systems, advises OEMs how to most effectively meet these challenges.
A helping hand: the soft robotic glove
A new robotic glove could soon help people suffering from loss of hand motor control to regain some of their strength. Oliver Hotham speaks to project head Conor Walsh and mechanical engineer Kevin Galloway about how silicone elastomers are helping medical device designers develop products that are more comfortable and can better mimic nature, and what the research means for the business of medical devices.
Cardio scaffolds stand trial at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics
Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics is an annual symposium and the world’s largest educational meeting for interventional cardiovascular medicine, bringing together interventional cardiologists, radiologists, vascular surgeons and more to showcase the latest advancements in the field. Held on 11–15 October in San Francisco, GlobalData’s Jennifer Ryan reports from the front lines.
The superelastic solution: nitinol
Since its discovery in the 1960s, the nickel-titanium alloy known as nitinol has been used for its shape-memory properties in the design of components such as thermal actuators. It has since found more widespread use, however, in the biomedical industry. Dr Bernd Vogel from Endosmart explores its advantages and disadvantages in the implant and instrument sector, and looks at the latest research on the material.