All articles by antonica jones
antonica jones
The future of implants: smart, electronic implanatables
In 1958, the first pacemaker fully embedded in the human body began its work. No one believed the technique would be a success. But today, in Germany alone, about 130,000 patients each year receive such an implant, giving them a significantly improved quality of life. CEO of IVAM Thomas Dietrich explores the future of this pioneering technology.
Chip off the old block: organs-on-chips
Lined with living human cells, USB-stick-sized organs-on-chips mimic the tissue structures and mechanical motions of human organs, promising to accelerate drug discovery, decrease development costs and reduce animal testing. Natalie Healey speaks to Professor Donald Ingber, founding director of the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, about the impact the device – which recently won Design of the Year – could have on the future of medicine.
Turn a blind eye: building a bionic eye
A novel retinal prosthesis could enable blind patients to see again. Natalie Healey speaks to Robert J Greenberg, chairman of the board at Second Sight, about how one goes about building a bionic eye.
Smart patch: the wearable insulin needle
A tiny wearable insulin patch made from extremely biocompatible materials could have huge impacts on diabetes patients’ quality of life within the next decade. Elly Earls meets the man behind the invention, Zhen Gu, to find out more.
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.