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Weekly Round Up
29 March 2024
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Features

Robotic automation
When it comes to upgrading the suite of technology operating on the factory fl oors of medical device manufacturers, getting it right can be tricky. Between historically high investments costs and challenges around education and implementation, that’s especially true when it comes to robotics and automation. Yet if these difficulties have traditionally limited the ability of smaller companies to embrace the power of robots, things are changing fast. Andrea Valentino investigates, along the way speaking to experts across the sector.

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.

Modelling the flow
Developing medical devices that rely on fluid dynamics can be complex, time-consuming and expensive because of the number of variables involved. An alternative is to use computer modelling, particularly in the early stages of a project as this can reduce the time and cost involved. This comes with challenges, however. Kim Thomas speaks to postdoctoral researcher Connor Verheyen on how he and his colleagues used computational modelling to design granular hydrogels that can be injected into the body to repair tissues.

A drop of ink
Even the most bio-available implant materials have a level of failure risk. Most require the use of special coatings or the support of drugs, that’s why biomedical engineers have spent countless hours experimenting with materials compatible for use in the human body. 3D-printing technology is helping to accelerate this process by allowing researchers to have greater flexibility when fine tuning the blend of materials in the bio-ink that will determine the properties of the final product. Dermot Martin speaks to Yanliang Zhang, associate professor in the department of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, and Esther Amstad, head of the soft materials laboratory at the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federal Lausanne, to learn how their research could lead to biomaterials of the future.


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