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Efemoral Medical Granted Breakthrough Device Designation
Novel bioresorbable scaffold system being developed for expanded indications
Keeping microbes at bay
The vectors for microbial transmission are numerous in hospitals. Items such as catheters, intravenous bags and devices, dialysis tubing, disposable syringes, gloves, implanted devices and hospital beds all carry the risk of a nosocomial infection. Despite enhanced cleaning regimes, several microbial species can survive in a hospital setting. To find ways to reduce this risk, researchers are constantly experimenting with coatings that have been physically or chemically designed to prevent the spread of pathogens or kill them on contact. But how did we reach the stage of knowledge we’re at now, with numerous coatings leveraging different mechanisms of action available? Peter Littlejohns explores how infection control has evolved throughout history, and why antimicrobial coatings haven’t become a core part of the field yet.
Sustainability in focus
When it comes to health, we’re often more willing to accept the environmental impact associated with manufacturing the medical devices we need. But in a world in which sustainability is growing ever more important, contract manufacturers need to demonstrate a level of commitment to reducing their impact on the environment. Monica Karpinski speaks to Rory O’Keeffe, commercial director, Europlaz, and Daniele Fazio, vice-president of business development, Flex, to learn how their employers are improving their sustainability credentials, and how doing so can give them an advantage in the market.
Top priority
Transport disruptions. Labour shortages. Bad weather. The pandemic. There are many ways of understanding the sluggish supply chains of today’s medical device sector, but together they are having a profound impact on manufacturers and patient care. Agility is therefore critical to supply chain resiliency and reliability, which is why the medical device industry association AdvaMed is advocating for policy changes to make medical devices a supply chain priority. Andrea Valentino speaks to Scott Whitaker and Abby Pratt from AdvaMed to learn more, along the way exploring how private-public partnerships could be the way forward.
Minimally invasive, big demand
Many surgical interventions that once required long stays in hospital are now done as outpatient procedures. Fundamentally, this is down to the remarkable growth of minimally invasive surgery, with medical R&D departments refining equipment over a wide range of surgical areas. Andrea Valentino talks to Dr Paula Gomes of the British Standards Institution to learn about the advantages of minimally invasive technology, the role that contract manufacturers can play in meeting the demand for products, and how robotics and AI could bolster the field further.
Seal of approval
As sterility must be ensured to offset the risk of infection for patients, packaging engineers often recommend designing medical devices with the packaging in mind, rather than it leaving it as an afterthought. Elly Earls speaks to Dan Burgess, fellow of packaging engineering at Boston Scientific, on what some of his key considerations are when taking this design approach and how new regulations and technology could impact the packaging process in the years ahead.
A sound option
There’s no shortage of research articles detailing the use of different materials for 3D printing, but how about advances that change the way we 3D print altogether? That’s what researchers at Concordia University discovered by using sound waves in the printing process. Sarah Harris speaks to Mohsen Habibi, research associate at Concordia University, as well as Shervin Foroughi, PhD student and engineer at Concordia’s Optical-Bio Microsystems Lab, to find out how they made the discovery and what possibilities it could open up for the world of medical device manufacturing.
A spotlight on skin
As a field of study and a sector within the medical device industry, photonics has contributed significantly to public health in different ways: advancing rapid, cost-effective, personalised interventions; allowing the visualisation of different biological structures, functional units and infectious agents; or as the basis for specific diagnostic devices. In particular, the high resolution and speed of light waves, on top of their capability to penetrate various biological barriers without causing unwanted interactions, has been a boon to the field of dermatology – the branch of medicine that deals with skin conditions. Antonio Castelo, photonics technology manager at the European Photonics Technology Consortium, explores some of the major impacts in the field.
Smart wound care
Chronic wounds cost billions, but more importantly they can carry a high cost for patients in the form of pain and impaired mobility. At the extreme end of the spectrum, they can cause the loss of a limb if amputation becomes a necessity, and the pathophysiological factors associated with the disease can even cause death. To make matters even worse, chronic wounds are tough to manage without a clear idea of what’s going on inside them, which is where smart dressings could prove useful. As IVAM, the international microtechnology business network, prepares to feature the technology in upcoming discussions, IVAM’s project manager, Dr Jana Schwarze, explains how the technology functions and its potential for improving chronic wound management.
A sense of progress
Many of the functions we don’t give much thought to in the day-to-day operation of modern electronics are enabled by sensors. In medicine, they’ve been deployed in technologies within hospital wards and operating rooms for a while now. But how are new innovations taking advantage of developments in sensor technology? Patrick McGuire speaks to Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, Penn State University; Steven LeBoeuf, president and co-founder, Valencell; and Jeffrey Brewer, president and CEO, Bigfoot Biomedical, to get a snapshot of the technology and how it uses sensors to benefit both patients and clinical staff.