LEAD STORIES
Heart pump manufacturer, Thoratec Corp., issued a safety warning last week after four patients died and five others were injured while using one of its products.
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New Device Replicates Natural Motion Of Human HeartScientists at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a new material capable of replicating the complex, 3D motions of the human heart.
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Will The New Samsung Smartphone Be Designated A Medical Device?The soon-to-be released Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is currently under review by South Korean officials, who may designate the device as “medical equipment” thanks to its new built-in heart rate monitor.
ARTICLES
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Imaging The World's Brightest Luminescent ProteinOptogenetics is revolutionizing the field of behavioral neuroscience by enabling researchers to control the activity of individual neurons and measure the effects of those manipulations. Introduced in 2006, it was selected as Nature Methods' "Method of the Year" only four years later. Today, hundreds of labs are using the technique to explore the neurobiology of phenomena such as decision-making and neurodegenerative diseases, often with remarkable results. For example, researchers have demonstrated how light can steady the gait of a stumbling rat with Parkinson's disease.
Cleaning Validation For Medical Device Manufacturing
Advantages of Injection Molding Process for Prototypes: Case Study - Newman Medical
This case study discusses how Newman Medical discovered the benefits of injection molding over steel molding. Injection molding cuts costs, and allows for the creation of prototypes that are as close as possible to what will eventually be taken to market without having to incur the typical costs associated with steel tooling. This was especially helpful when Newman Medical developed a fetal ultrasound device designed for use in the home, as most modern medical devices are largely dependent upon plastic components.
Material Selection With An Eye On Micromolding: A Comparison Study Of Materials
There is probably little doubt that just about everything we come in contact with today has some form of plastic as part of its design.
Choosing Power Supplies For Medical Applications
The selection and specification of power supplies for medical applications is a task that must be approached with great care; especially in these times where key safety and environmental standards for medical equipment are undergoing substantial changes that will affect large segments of the medical industry. By David Norton, VP of Marketing, TDK-Lambda Americas
FROM THE EDITOR
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6 Technology Trends You Can’t Afford To Ignore (In Your Medical Device Design)When it comes to purchasing medical technology, today’s healthcare provider is looking for wireless-capable devices that will help them fill electronic health records (EHRs), support agile workflows, and meet outcome- and value-driven healthcare mandates. If you don’t shift your design thinking to meet these needs, prepare to start losing business. You are destined to either lose market share to more responsive competitors or (worse) get “disrupted out of existence” by new contenders who lie in wait outside the traditional medical device industry borders — software vendors, systems integrators, and even consumer technology companies.
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Engineering A Biologically Inspired, Soft Orthotic DeviceRecently, a group of researchers at Harvard University developed an innovative, anatomically designed device that could help rehabilitate patients suffering from ankle and foot disorders. Unlike traditional exoskeletons, which are rigid and restrict full range-of-motion, this prototype incorporates a unique combination of soft materials, sensors, pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs), and control software to provide support and allow for natural movement.
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What Can Micro-Windmills Teach Us About The Future Of Medical Device Design?At some point in the not-so-distant future, you’ll be able to recharge your smartphone by waving it about in the air for a few moments or (less conspicuously) by simply holding it out in a stiff breeze.What does this have to do with medical device design, you ask? Quite a lot, as it turns out.
INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES
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Q&A: Edwards Lifesciences VP Discusses Physician Payments Sunshine ActChristopher White, general counsel for AdvaMed, recently sat down with Diane Biagianti,VP and chief responsibility officer for Edwards Lifesciences, to talk about the importance of collaboration between physicians and medical technology companies, and implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. By Christopher White, general counsel, AdvaMed
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
EMCCD Camera: Falcon Blue
The Falcon Blue EMCCD Camera has been designed to provide high sensitivity with higher frame rates, all while operating at lower wavelengths. It’s ideal for applications involving adaptive optics, astronomy, bio and chemi-luminescence, calcium signaling, fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy, flow cytometry, FRET/FRAP/TIRF, genome sequencing, and more.
MPC Series: Medical-Grade Couplings
Optical Component Prototypes Using Rapid Injection Molding Process
Protomold’s rapid injection molding process is a very useful option for prototyping lenses that need to be tested for fit and structural integrity in optical systems. Optical component prototypes produced using the rapid injection molding process can cost up to 90% less than parts produced with traditional tooling methods.
Micro-Patterned Filters
PIXELTEQ has the ability to pattern single and multiple precision optical filters and coatings with complex features due to their patented micro-patterning technology. This technology is particularly ideal for optical device and OEM applications.
Reliance® 1044 Laboratory Glassware Dryer
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LATEST HEADLINES
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M&A Slowdown, Drop In FDA Approvals Stifles Growth Of Medtech Sector
At the half-year mark, the medtech sector was on course for its worst year in a decade in terms of M&A activity, EP Vantage concluded last fall in its Half Year Review 2013 report.
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Heart Pump Manufacturer Issues Safety Warning In Wake Of DeathsHeart pump manufacturer, Thoratec Corp., issued a safety warning last week after four patients died and five others were injured while using one of its products.
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Medtronic Facing Lawsuits Over Bone Growth ProductMedtronic has confirmed that around 1,000 people have sued the company over complications arising from its controversial bone graft product, Infuse.
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Self-Administered Microneedle Patches May Facilitate Flu VaccinationsA team of researchers from Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are developing a microneedle patch that may make flu vaccinations easier, cheaper, and less painful.
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New Device Replicates Natural Motion Of Human HeartScientists at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a new material capable of replicating the complex, 3D motions of the human heart.
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Edwards Lifesciences Announces First Human Implants With Mitral Transcatheter Valve System
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in the science of heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring, today announced the successful completion of the first three human implants of its FORTIS mitral transcatheter heart valve, which were performed in February and March by the Heart Team at St. Thomas' Hospital in London.
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Will The New Samsung Smartphone Be Designated A Medical Device?The soon-to-be released Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is currently under review by South Korean officials, who may designate the device as “medical equipment” thanks to its new built-in heart rate monitor.
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Ultra Sensitive Detection Of Radio Waves With LasersRadio waves are used for many measurements and applications, for example, in communication with mobile phones, MRI scans, scientific experiments and cosmic observations.
FEATURED SUPPLIERS
Hamamatsu Corporation
Hamamatsu Corporation is the North American subsidiary of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (Japan), a leading manufacturer of devices for the generation and measurement of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light, as well as X-rays.