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Personal space
Still blushing from the Covid-19 spotlight, which swung their way when the rest of the industry realised they were able to continue their work as if nothing had changed, OEMs’ computational modelling and simulation experts are in position to enable true personalisation and shape the industry for years to come. They just need to make sure the regulators are on board with it. Tim Gunn assesses the state of the art with Jeffrey Bischoff, director of biomechanics research for Zimmer Biomet, and Walter Schmidt, senior manager of the modelling and simulation team at Stryker Orthopaedics.
Spread your wings
Humans rarely look to insects for advice on hygiene, but then we don’t have wings studded with bacteria-killing nanopillars. Since they first took notice of such biological structures, scientists have rushed to understand how surface topographies can improve the antimicrobial properties of medical devices both inside and outside the human body. Kerry Taylor-Smith talks to Elena Ivanova, distinguished professor and molecular biochemist at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and Bo Su, professor of biomedical materials at the University of Bristol, about new approaches for fighting bacteria without chemicals or antibiotics.
Licence to print
Struggling with unprecedented demand, hospitals the world over have begun printing their own PPE – but with worries from regulators and technical glitches, it’s unclear if 3D printers and open source schematics are ready to become part of the medical mainstream. Andrea Valentino talks to Joshua Pearce, an engineering professor at Michigan Tech; Sam Onukuri, head of Johnson & Johnson’s 3D printing innovation and customer solutions department; and Carmelo De Maria, an assistant professor at the University of Pisa, about the challenges of using open source technology to manufacture medical devices – and how getting it right could have consequences far beyond Covid-19.
Sterilise and protect
With the closure of three sterilisation plants, the US faced a potentially life-threatening shortage of medical devices before the Covid-19 outbreak even happened. Andrew Tunnicliffe talks with the Food and Drug Administration’s Amanda Turney, and pharmacist and senior director of advocacy at Premier Inc Soumi Saha, about the need for action if the country is to avoid another crisis.
Step by step
Mark Whalley, head of manufacturing at Sky Medical Technology, has more than 30 years’ experience in pharmaceuticals and medical devices. After joining Sky in 2013, he was tasked with creating a ‘best in class’ manufacturing process. Here he explains what makes Sky’s approach to manufacturing and automation unique, and shares his advice for anyone making the move to automated assembly from manual.
Under the spotlight
There has been a surge in illicit products linked to Covid-19 as counterfeiters seek to capitalise on the fears of the public. Irenie Forshaw talks to Jay Kennedy, assistant professor at Michigan State University’s centre for anti-counterfeiting and product protection, and Géraldine Lissalde- Bonnet, director of public policy at GS1, about how packaging can protect brands and consumers, and the role of unique device identification systems in the fight against fraud.
Photonics of the future
European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) members encompass the entire value chain for laser and photonics related technologies, which are increasingly indispensable to the medical device industry. As a catalyst and facilitator for technological and commercial advancement, EPIC is keyed in to all the latest developments in the fi eld. Elena Beletkaia, a project leader at EPIC, discusses how lasers and photonics are driving innovation and improving outcomes.
After the crisis
With all the explosions and collapses in demand precipitated by the pandemic, the medical device market is beginning to look like a war zone. Kevin Stout, executive director of the Medical Device Supply Chain Council; Todd Abraham, vice-president of operations for Ivantis; and Andrew Thompson, director of therapy research and analysis for medical devices at GlobalData, tell Tim Gunn how the supply chain can be rebuilt.
In the face of DNA
To many, DNA origami has the potential to radically alter drug delivery and diagnostics, but it needs to start having a practical impact first. By ‘folding’ strands of DNA into a tube, scientists at Emory University have achieved speeds of 100nm/min – ten times faster than previous attempts to make DNA motors ‘walk’. Khalid Salaita, a professor of chemistry at Emory and a leader on the project, speaks to Will Moffitt about what this could mean for drug delivery, bio-sensing and nanoscale robotics in the future.
Body positive
For all their life-saving potential, the silicon electronics found in medical devices don’t work inside the human body, so they have to be encased in rigid metal shells. What’s more, they interact poorly with the ionic signals cells use to communicate, which further limits their functionality. Columbia University’s Dion Khodagholy and Jennifer Gelinas speak to Natalie Healey about designing and developing biocompatible electronics to better understand the brain.