Articles
Cut to the Bone
April 30, 2013 2:54 pm | by Gus Breiland, Customer Service Engineer Manager, Proto Labs Inc. | Proto Labs, Inc. | CommentsAs material costs rise, designers are attempting to use as little as possible for their components without sacrificing the functionality or durability of a part. While this is the goal for virtually every designer across every industry, accomplishing it can be a challenging task. Using rapid injection molding for prototype parts, designers can get a much better handle on achieving this task.
Bigger, Faster, Stronger—The New Fully Integrated CMO
April 29, 2013 2:40 pm | by Jon Spaeth, Director of Product Development, and Bill Welch, Chief Technology Officer, Phillips-Medisize | Phillips-Medisize | CommentsIn today’s medical device manufacturing space, OEMs are seeing partners who can handle not only the product development and prototyping of their idea, but those who have the ability to take that idea into production and manufacturing. This article looks at the value of working with a fully integrated development and manufacturing partner.
Hearing the Call for Rapid Prototyping
April 26, 2013 12:22 pm | by Avi Cohen, Manager, Dental and Medical, Objet | Objet Geometries Ltd. | CommentsThe manufacture of hearing aids has traditionally involved a time-consuming, manual process that limited the amount of production that could be achieved by a single technician. However, with the implementation of rapid prototyping technology alongside CAD/CAM solutions, this process has been sped up exponentially. This article looks at the changing trend for the production of hearing aids.
Portable Ventilators & the Advanced Design of Brushless DC Motors
April 25, 2013 5:07 pm | by Michael Bloom, President, Sinotech | Sinotech | CommentsThe BLDC motor is a synchronous electric motor that has coils wound around the stationary lamination stack of a stator—not a rotating armature—and magnets mounted on a rotor. This basic design has allowed engineers to create BLDC motors small enough to fit into portable ventilators used in hospitals, emergency vehicles, and homes.
Virtual Imaging for the Medical Industry
April 24, 2013 5:07 pm | by Bruce Ridley, Vice President, eMagin Corporation | CommentsWhile virtual imaging technology has permeated other industries such as entertainment and military, it has yet to make a significant impact in medical. However, as newer, more advanced capabilities are introduced, designers may take advantage of this offering more often. This article looks at virtual imaging for medical device applications.
Why New Inspection Methods Can Cost Less
April 24, 2013 10:36 am | by Steve Heveron-Smith, VP of Business Development and Marketing, Lumetrics | Lumetrics Inc. | CommentsThis article describes the challenges and successes in which a modern, non-contact technology replaced older manual methods. Four scenarios are discussed in which this newer technology can be integrated into a company’s process: new product development, process improvements, problem resolution, and existing products.
Meeting the FDA’s Mandates for Unique Device Identification
April 22, 2013 2:22 pm | by Hiroshi Ono, Group Product Manager, Roland DGA Corp. | Roland DGA Corporation | CommentsThe FDA’s UDI rule is on its way and will impact virtually everyone in the industry in one way or another. While the rule has its benefits, getting to compliance will not be achieved overnight. This article provides an overview of the direct part marking technologies required to comply with the UDI rule and offers a solution that addresses the shortcomings of several other technologies.
Securing MedTech That’s in the Public Eye
April 22, 2013 10:06 am | by Steve Spatig, General Manager, Electronic Access Solutions Division, Southco | Southco | CommentsAs more healthcare technology moves out of secured hospital areas and into much more open, public spaces, medical device designers need to incorporate more sophisticated access control technology into the devices they are developing. Electronic access solutions can offer the security needed to ensure patient data remains secure and regulatory compliance is achieved.
Simulation Now Recognized by FDA as Essential to Medical Device Evaluation
April 18, 2013 4:24 pm | by Cheryl Liu, Life Sciences Senior Technical Lead, SIMULIA, Dassault Systèmes | Simulia, Dassault Systemes | CommentsOne of the toughest design engineering challenges is making a medical device that works flawlessly with the human body. The unique anatomy and physiology of every patient create physical complexities and ever-shifting functional parameters that must be thoroughly accounted for when producing a therapeutic product that may need to last a lifetime.
Addressing LOC Product Development from the Systems Side
April 18, 2013 10:33 am | by Tim Bowe, CEO, Foliage | Foliage | CommentsThe rapid introduction of Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) technology is accelerating the move to Point-of-Care Testing (POCT). However, many companies are finding that perfecting LOC technology is only part of building a viable business model. The need for a complete system approach is a prerequisite to broad and rapid market adoption. The options for building a complete system are complex, confusing, and sometimes conflicting.
Designers, Hackers, Healers, & Hustlers Tackle Employee Wellness in Innovation Challenge
March 11, 2013 4:50 pm | by Ryan Wynia, Founder|Design Visioneer, FIREBONE | CommentsThe innovators selected to participate in StartX MedIC were unbelievable individuals. The participants included physicians, surgeons, physicists, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, computer scientists, data scientists, computer programmers, industrial designers, interface designers, interaction designers, start-up founders, serial entrepreneurs, inventors, PhD students, medical students, and marketing executives from all types organizations and institutions.
Applications Processors Help Bridge the Gap Between Distant Doctors and Patients
February 6, 2013 2:46 pm | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | CommentsTelepresence has uses in a variety of environments such as large enterprise and manufacturing facilities, where a robot can help distant engineers and other team members stay connected with their team with live audio and video, eliminating costs and travel time.
A Matter of Materials: Molding
January 29, 2013 3:31 pm | by Scott Young, Ph.D. | West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | CommentsNew material offerings are critical to medical device manufacturers as they provide new opportunities in the development of cutting edge technologies. This three-part round-up features three new materials that are impacting medical device manufacturing in the areas of adhesives/coatings, molding, and extrusion. This part focuses on molding.
A Matter of Materials: Adhesives/Coatings
January 29, 2013 3:29 pm | by Jennifer Hooker | Master Bond, Inc. | CommentsNew material offerings are critical to medical device manufacturers as they provide new opportunities in the development of cutting edge technologies. This three-part round-up features three new materials that are impacting medical device manufacturing in the areas of adhesives/coatings, molding, and extrusion. This part focuses on adhesives/coatings.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine: Components, Characteristics, and Device Implementation
January 23, 2013 11:20 am | by Luis Puebla | Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. | CommentsAccording to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million American adults have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA occurs when the back muscles of the throat relax while sleeping, causing the airway to narrow, resulting in snoring. These muscles could also completely block the flow of air to the lungs. When the brain detects a lack of oxygenation, it sends an impulse to the muscles forcing them to restart the breathing process.
