Browse Topic: Prostheses and implants

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Advancing Implantable Medical Device Reliability with Enhanced Laser Joining TechnologyTBMG-5217712/01/2024
Maximizing the Potential of TPU Extrusion in Medical Tubing ApplicationsTBMG-5216412/01/2024
Whether for vascular catheters or implantable devices, medical tubing must meet tough standards for flexibility, strength, and biocompatibility. That’s why more manufacturers are turning to thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) that strike the ideal balance between these key properties, making them an excellent choice for high-performance medical tubing. Unlocking the best that TPUs have to offer means optimizing the extrusion process. This article looks at why TPUs are a top pick, the common obstacles in extrusion, and the ways manufacturers can fine-tune their process to get the most out of different grades.
Solvent-Free 3D Printing Material Could Enable Biodegradable ImplantsTBMG-5216712/01/2024
Duke University Durham, NC
Antimicrobial Coating for Orthopedic Implants Prevents Dangerous InfectionsTBMG-4691711/01/2022
Bioprinted 3D Cardiac Patches Could Reverse Scar Formation After Heart AttacksTBMG-3976709/01/2021
Cardiovascular diseases account for 32 percent of global deaths. Myocardial infarction, or heart attacks, play a large part in heart diseases and the necrosis of cardiac tissue after blood supply is decreased or stopped.
4D Printing of Morphing StructuresTBMG-3849402/01/2021
Soft robots and biomedical implants that reconfigure themselves upon demand are closer to reality with a new way to print shapeshifting materials. Researchers have developed a method to print objects that can be manipulated to take on alternate forms when exposed to changes in temperature, electric current, or stress.
Photonic Wireless System Powers Medical ImplantsTBMG-3834901/01/2021
Medical implants, such as pacemakers, serve various functions in patients and help to improve their quality of life. But to power these devices, re-implanted devices and invasive surgery are often required, which may lead to a risk of surgical complications. In search of a more permanent solution, scientists developed a photonic device that reduces the need for re-implants.
Q&A: The Increasingly Important Role Material Selection Plays in Driving Medical Device Product Development StrategyTBMG-3831601/01/2021
The medical industry as a whole has galvanized its entire workforce toward developing a cure and relief for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One facet of the industry now experiencing an uptick in attention and recognition due to the growing shortage of required raw materials and components for the production of medical equipment is the medical materials industry. When it comes to the manufacturing of medical devices itself, this is a very complicated production process due to the many parts and components involved. The onset of the pandemic has led to a disastrous decrease or even complete stop in production of medical equipment domestically and abroad with several medical device supply chains scrambling to resume their work. Currently, medical device manufacturers are searching for alternative manufacturers and locations.
Low-Cost, Customized Prosthesis Using 3D PrintingTBMG-3830701/01/2021
Upper limb forequarter amputations that involve the removal of the entire arm and scapula require highly customized prosthetic devices that are expensive but yet usually underutilized due to their high maintenance and low comfort levels. At the same time, while cosmetic prostheses — artificial limbs that provide patients the appearance of a pre-amputated body part — have a higher rate of continuous use, they have limitations in functional use.
Designing Rugged Myoelectric Interfaces for Highly Functional ProstheticsTBMG-3830801/01/2021
Using the laptops and cellphones in today’s world is solved by using modern prosthetic devices that connect signals from the brain via surface-mounted sensors and detectors. New sensor technologies combined with high-performance microwiring is extending the performance and reliability of active myoelectric prosthetics. The evolution of newly developed microprocessor chip sensors offers advanced communication from the brain to the prosthetic devices. Myographic chips monitor and measure the force produced by muscles as they move from relaxed mode to contractions and can deliver intensity and muscle signal speed. The surface-mounted electromyographic sensors with isolated microwiring receive analog signals sent from the brain to be captured and converted to digital signals. They are then connected to newly adapted prosthetic devices that enhance the life and capability of amputee patients.
Special Section: The Winners of the 2020 'Create the Future' Design ContestTBMG-3828312/01/2020
The , launched in 2002 by Tech Briefs Media Group (publishers of Tech Briefs magazine), recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. The annual contest draws product designs from engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide.
Upper Body Robotic ExoskeletonTBMG-3817312/01/2020
A soft, wearable, robotic upper limb exoskeleton garment was designed to actively control the shoulder and elbow, both positioning the limb in specific orientations and commanding the limb through desired motions. The invention was developed to provide effective upper extremity motor rehabilitation for patients with neurological impairments (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke).
Creating the Future: Implantable ICD Eliminates Wires & Offers Painless DefibrillationTBMG-3816412/01/2020
Glove-Like Device Mimics Sense of TouchTBMG-3821012/01/2020
Haptic technology mimics the experience of touch by stimulating localized areas of the skin in ways that are similar to what is felt in the real world through force, vibration, or motion. The human hand has a large number of tactile receptors that are used to perceive most objects. There are many situations in which the sense of touch would be useful such as in a telehealth consultation where a doctor is unable to physically examine a patient.
2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Consumer Product Design Category Winner — The Ring Prosthetic LegTBMG-3820612/01/2020
Smart, Self-Powered Knee ImplantsTBMG-3796711/01/2020
Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure, with the number of surgeries increasing every year. This surgery is being performed for younger, more active patients who are faced with a dilemma: When they undergo the surgery, they are expected to remain physically active for their overall health but that activity can also wear down the new implant. Often, doctors don’t know if patients are overexerting themselves until they begin to develop symptoms. By that point, the damage to the implant has already been done. For a young patient, going through knee replacement surgery every five or 10 years is a daunting task but finding the perfect balance of activity levels to maintain the integrity of the implant has been equally daunting.
Lego-Inspired Bone and Soft Tissue Repair with Tiny, 3D Printed BricksTBMG-3807911/01/2020
Tiny, 3D printed bricks have been designed to heal broken bones — and could one day lead to lab-made organs for human transplant.
Metal-Ion Breakthrough Leads to New BiomaterialsTBMG-3806211/01/2020
Engineers have developed a new framework that makes elastomer design a modular process, allowing for the mixing and matching of different metals with a single polymer. They incorporated copper into a vascular graft because of its role in inducing angiogenesis — the process by which new blood vessels grow from existing ones.
Tiny, Magnetically Powered Neural StimulatorTBMG-3800811/01/2020
Neuroengineers have created a tiny surgical implant that can electrically stimulate the brain and nervous system without using a battery or wired power supply. The device draws its power from magnetic energy and is about the size of a grain of rice. It is the first magnetically powered neural stimulator that produces the same kind of high-frequency signals as clinically approved, battery-powered implants that are used to treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, and other conditions.
New Material Family Could Build Realistic ProstheticsTBMG-3784310/01/2020
By tweaking the chemistry of a single polymer, researchers have created a whole family of synthetic materials that range in texture from ultra-soft to extremely rigid. The materials are 3D printable, self-healing, and recyclable, and they naturally adhere to each other in air or under water.
3D-Printed Soft, Rubbery Brain ImplantsTBMG-3780210/01/2020
Brain implants are typically made from metal and other rigid materials that over time can cause inflammation and the buildup of scar tissue. Engineers are developing soft, flexible neural implants that can gently conform to the brain's contours and monitor activity over longer periods without aggravating surrounding tissue. Such flexible electronics could be softer alternatives to existing metal-based electrodes designed to monitor brain activity and may also be useful in brain implants that stimulate neural regions to ease symptoms of epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and severe depression.
EEG-Based Technique for Controlling a Robotic Arm with the BrainTBMG-3764309/01/2020
Researchers have developed a technique that allows people to control a robotic arm using only their minds. The research has the potential to help millions of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.
Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to Prosthetic HandsTBMG-3762409/01/2020
Amputees often experience the sensation of a “phantom limb” — a feeling that a missing body part is still there. Pain, while unpleasant, is an essential, protective sense of touch that is lacking in the prostheses that are currently available to amputees. Advances in prosthesis designs and control mechanisms can aid an amputee’s ability to regain lost function, but they often lack meaningful, tactile feedback or perception.
Material “Shape-Shifts” in Response to External ForcesTBMG-3747808/01/2020
A self-adapting material was developed that can change its stiffness in response to the applied force. This advancement can someday open the door for materials that can self-reinforce to prepare for increased force or stop further damage; for example, a bone implant or a bridge that can self-reinforce where a high force is applied without inspection and maintenance.
Laser Treatment Turns Metal Surfaces into Bacteria KillersTBMG-3743908/01/2020
A laser treatment method was developed that could potentially turn any metal surface into a rapid bacteria killer just by giving the metal’s surface a different texture. The technique allows the surface of copper to immediately kill off superbugs such as MRSA. Copper has been used as an antimicrobial material for centuries but it typically takes hours for native copper surfaces to kill off bacteria. The new one-step laser-texturing technique effectively enhances the bacteria-killing properties of copper’s surface.
4D Printing of Morphing StructuresTBMG-3739408/01/2020
Soft robots and biomedical implants that reconfigure themselves upon demand are closer to reality with a new way to print shapeshifting materials. Researchers have developed a method to print objects that can be manipulated to take on alternate forms when exposed to changes in temperature, electric current, or stress.
Light-Emitting Nanoparticles for Imaging Living CellsTBMG-3743708/01/2020
Light-emitting nanoparticles have been demonstrated to see deep into living tissue. The specially designed nanoparticles can be excited by ultra-low-power laser light at near-infrared wavelengths considered safe for the human body. They absorb this light and emit visible light that can be measured by standard imaging equipment.
Products of Tomorrow: August 2020TBMG-3745708/01/2020
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
Implantable Biosensor Operates Without BatteriesTBMG-3724607/01/2020
Researchers from the University of Surrey have revealed their new biodegradable motion sensor - paving the way for implanted nanotechnology that could help future sports professionals better monitor their movements to aid rapid improvements, or help caregivers remotely monitor people living with dementia.
Device Simulates Filtering and Ion Transport Functions of Human KidneyTBMG-3723507/01/2020
Chemical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a device that simulates the blood filtering and ion transport functions of the human kidney. The technology could transform treatment options for people in the final stage of renal disease.
Synthetic Material Could Help Heal Injured Tendons and LigamentsTBMG-3712006/01/2020
University of Sydney Sydney, Australia
5 Ws of Bacteria-Killing Metal SurfacesTBMG-3704106/01/2020
Anyone concerned with eliminating bacterial pathogens including superbugs like MRSA.
Off-the-Shelf Artificial Cardiac Patch Repairs Heart Attack Damage in Rats, PigsTBMG-3712506/01/2020
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed an off-the-shelf artificial cardiac patch that can deliver cardiac cell-derived healing factors directly to the site of heart attack injury. In a rat model of heart attack, the freezable, cell-free patch improved recovery. The researchers also found similar effects in a pilot study involving a pig model of heart attack.
Nanostructured Rubber-Like Material to Replace Human TissueTBMG-3682905/01/2020
In the development of medical technology products, there is a great demand for new naturalistic materials suitable for integration with the body. Introducing materials into the body comes with many risks such as serious infections. Many of the substances used today are very toxic, so there is a need for new, more adaptable materials.
Method Enables Conductive Gels to Stick When WetTBMG-3685505/01/2020
Polymers that are good conductors of electricity could be useful in biomedical devices to help with sensing or electrostimulation, for example. But there has been a sticking point preventing their widespread use: their inability to adhere to a surface such as a sensor or microchip and stay put despite moisture from the body.
Your MDR Strategy: Start with a Gap AnalysisTBMG-3640704/01/2020
The 566-page Medical Device Regulation (MDR), which replaces the EU’s Medical Device Directive (93/42/EEC) and the Directive on Active Implantable Medical Devices (90/385/EEC), has caused much discussion, training, debate, and stress in the medical device industry since its publication in May 2017. To say nothing of the changes in device regulation, the aggressive three-year implementation goal of May 26, 2020 has the industry as a whole — manufacturers, laboratories, and regulators — strategizing diligently as we step into 2020. This article briefly examines the current state of the MDR, including deadline extensions announced in the second corrigenda, a strategy to address material information, and what should be included in a gap analysis.
Prototype Patch Acts Like Heart TissueTBMG-3642304/01/2020
Bioengineers from Trinity have developed a prototype patch that does the same job as crucial aspects of heart tissue.
Soft, Conformable Hearing ImplantsTBMG-3615903/01/2020
Close to half a million people around the world suffer from a serious hearing impairment. In some cases, they can find relief in cochlear and other types of implants. Yet these devices do not help people whose inner ear is damaged or whose auditory nerve does not function properly. For these patients to recover their sense of hearing, electrical signals must be sent directly to the auditory brainstem. The neuroprosthetic used for this purpose is called an auditory brainstem implant (ABI); however, the outcomes of ABIs are mixed and in many cases, patients recover only sound perception. Clinical ABIs are also stiff and cannot conform precisely to the curvature of the auditory brainstem.
Wireless System Powers Devices Inside the BodyTBMG-3616903/01/2020
In the brain, implantable electrodes that deliver an electrical current are used for a technique known as deep brain stimulation, which is often used to treat Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy. These electrodes are now controlled by a pacemaker-like device implanted under the skin, which could be eliminated if wireless power is used. Wireless brain implants could also help deliver light to stimulate or inhibit neuron activity through optogenetics, which so far has not been adapted for use in humans but could be useful for treating many neurological disorders.
Q&A: Solid Silk - A Biocompatible, Sustainable, Degradable Building BlockTBMG-3617503/01/2020
David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor of Engineering at Tufts University’s College of Engineering, and his team have developed a unique and practical method for processing silk into solid form for products such as rods and plates for medical implants.
Multimaterial Fiber “Ink” for 3D-Printed DevicesTBMG-3597502/01/2020
A new method uses standard 3D printers to produce functioning devices with the electronics already embedded inside. The devices are made of fibers containing multiple interconnected materials that can light up, sense their surroundings, store energy, or perform other actions.
Implants: Protective Membrane Reduces Tissue BuildupTBMG-3577501/01/2020
Scientists have developed a special protective membrane made of cellulose that significantly reduces the buildup of fibrotic tissue around cardiac pacemaker implants, as reported in a recent issue of the journal Biomaterials.1 The protective membrane could greatly simplify surgical procedures for patients with cardiac pacemakers.
Injectable, Flexible Electrode Could Replace Rigid Nerve-Stimulating ImplantsTBMG-3577001/01/2020
By electrically stimulating nerves, neuromodulation therapies can reduce epileptic seizures, soothe chronic pain, and treat depression and a host of other health conditions without the use of conventional drugs like opioids.
Active Implants Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for NUsurface Meniscus ImplantTBMG-3576701/01/2020
FDA has granted a Breakthrough Device Designation to Active Implants’ NUsurface® Meniscus Implant. Active Implants, LLC develops orthopedic implant solutions for joint preservation. The NUsurface Meniscus Implant is the first “artificial meniscus” to be marketed in Europe and, if cleared by the FDA, would be the first artificial meniscus in the United States.
Bioelectronic Implant Could Prevent Opioid DeathsTBMG-3563012/01/2019
Researchers are developing a novel, implantable device that can sense the effects of a potentially fatal level of ingested opioids and then automatically and immediately deliver a life-saving dose of naloxone.
Bioresorbable Patch Offers New Alternative for Arterial HealingTBMG-3563212/01/2019
When a patient experiences 70 percent or greater stenosis in the carotid artery — a condition that can cause lack of cerebral blood flow, stroke, and in some cases, death — surgeons perform a procedure known as carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to remove the plaque causing the artery stenosis.1,2 The procedure consists of a longitudinal incision made from the common to the internal carotid artery, allowing for removal of the plaque that deposits in the bifurcation.
Simulating Softness for Haptic InterfacesTBMG-3545611/01/2019
Researchers have developed a formula that enables them to recreate different levels of perceived softness. Based on the results from their experiments, they created equations that can calculate how soft or hard a material will feel based on material thickness, Young’s modulus (a measure of a material’s stiffness), and micropatterned areas. The equations can also do the reverse and calculate, for example, how thick or micropatterned a material needs to be to feel a certain level of softness.
A Smart Artificial Hand for Amputees Merges User and Robotic ControlTBMG-3551611/01/2019
EPFL scientists are developing new approaches for improved control of robotic hands — in particular for amputees — that combines individual finger control and automation for improved grasping and manipulation. This interdisciplinary proof-of-concept between neuroengineering and robotics was successfully tested on three amputees and seven healthy subjects. The results are published in a recent issue of Nature Machine Intelligence.
Implantables to Augment Missing Body TissueTBMG-3550911/01/2019
Kanfit3D has entered into a joint research partnership with the University of Brescia (Italy). The project will develop unique implantable structures, using additive layer manufacturing (ALM) technologies, for replacing or augmenting missing body tissue with customized surface treatments for improved osseointegration to achieve a better biological response within a reduced healing time.
Smart Brain Stimulators: Next-Generation Parkinson's Disease TherapyTBMG-3534110/01/2019
Researchers at the University of Houston have found neuro biomarkers for Parkinson's disease that can help create the next generation of “smart” deep brain stimulators, able to respond to specific needs of Parkinson's disease patients. Those with the disease often undergo the high-frequency brain stimulation, a well-established therapy for the progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement, but the therapy has been imprecise.
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