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.
Xenon Improves Properties of Maxillofacial and Orthopedic ImplantsTBMG-3854602/01/2021
Tomsk Polytechnic University Tomsk Oblast, Russia
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Small Brain Implant Helps Paralyzed PatientsTBMG-3816912/01/2020
A tiny device the size of a small paperclip has been shown to help patients with upper limb paralysis to text, e-mail, and even shop online in the first human trial. The device, Stentrode™, has been implanted successfully in two patients, who both suffer from severe paralysis due to motor neuron disease (MND) — also known amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — and neither had complete ability to move their upper limbs.
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.
Self-Healing, Recyclable, Shape Memory PolymersTBMG-3798411/01/2020
By tweaking the chemistry of a single polymer, researchers have created a family of synthetic materials that ranges in texture from ultra-soft to extremely rigid. The materials are 3D-printable, self-healing, recyclable, and naturally adhere to each other in air or underwater. These characteristics make them suited for more realistic prosthetics and soft robotics as well as broad military applications such as agile platforms for air vehicles and futuristic, self-healing aircraft wings.
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.
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.
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.
Psychosensory Electronic Skin Technology for AI and Humanoid DevelopmentTBMG-3798611/01/2020
In trying to mimic a human being’s five senses, electronic devices such as the camera and TV were developed. As a result, scientists are continuously attempting to imitate tactile, olfactory, and palate senses. Currently, researchers in tactile sensing are focusing on physical mimetic technologies that measure the pressure used for a robot to grab an object but psychosensory tactile research on how to mimic human tactile feelings such as soft, smooth, or rough has a long way to go.
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.
Mixing Silk with Polymers Could Lead to Better Biomedical ImplantsTBMG-3785710/01/2020
By combining silk, which is safe for use in the human body, with synthetic compounds, one research team is getting closer to developing new implantable composite materials with the best properties of both. Potential applications could include structures that hold bone in place after surgery or replacements for the cartilage cushions in the knee.
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.
How Unlimited-Length Flexible Printed Circuits Are Transforming Electrical Interfaces in Medical DevicesTBMG-3758309/01/2020
Undergoing surgery is a costly procedure, often involving a hospital stay and the ongoing monitoring of the patient after discharge. During and after an operation, the patient is put through considerable stress, both mentally and physiologically, which affects the body’s respiratory, cardiovascular, excretory, and immune systems in particular. Whenever possible, limiting the size and number of incisions made during surgery by using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques is extremely beneficial to the patient’s recovery time.
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.
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.
Tiny, Magnetically Powered Implant Stimulates Brain Without BatteryTBMG-3734408/01/2020
Rice University neuroengineers have created a tiny surgical implant that can electrically stimulate the brain and nervous system without using a battery or wired power supply.
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.
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.
Hydrogel Contact Lens to Treat Eye DiseaseTBMG-3744708/01/2020
Corneal melting is a condition that is a significant cause for blindness worldwide. The incurable eye disease can be initiated by a number of different causes such as autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, or Stevens-Johnson syndrome), chemical burns, or some surgical procedures (like LASIK and cataract procedures). The patient’s cornea melts due to the uncontrolled production of certain zinc-dependent enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by the patient’s immune cells in the cornea. To help prevent this, a new hydrogel was developed that deactivates those enzymes by removing the zinc ions.
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.
High-Reliability Capacitors: Critical Components for Medical Device ImplantablesTBMG-3736508/01/2020
As technology advances in the medical device space, electronics design engineers are constantly adapting to meet industry requirements for increased functionality, reduced component size, and absolute reliability. For medical implantables, technological innovations are driven by the ability for electronic components manufacturers to superminiaturize electronic circuits and create advancements in the materials and designs available.
Surgical Tape Detaches on DemandTBMG-3747908/01/2020
Engineers have developed an adhesive that could quickly and firmly stick to wet surfaces to seal up rips and tears in lungs and intestines within seconds or to affix implants and other medical devices to the surfaces of organs such as the heart. The adhesive has been developed further so that it can be detached from the underlying tissue without causing any damage. By applying a liquid solution, the new version can be peeled away like a slippery gel in case it needs to be adjusted during surgery, for example, or removed once the tissue has healed.
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.
Q&A: Underwater Smart Glue Turns On and OffTBMG-3721707/01/2020
Bruce Lee, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, and his team have developed a process whereby an adhesive can be deactivated by applying a small voltage.
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.
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.
Recording Device Could Help Development of Brainwave-Controlled Devices, Including ProstheticsTBMG-3723807/01/2020
The Frances Crick Institute London, UK
Insect Wings Hold Antimicrobial Clues for Improved Medical ImplantsTBMG-3712806/01/2020
Using a range of advanced imaging tools, functional assays, and proteomic analyses, a study has identified new ways in which nano-pillars can damage bacteria. These findings will aid the design of better antimicrobial surfaces for potential biomedical applications such as medical implants and devices that are not reliant on antibiotics.
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.
Drug-Loaded Microrobots Attach to Cancer TissueTBMG-3711606/01/2020
A drug-loaded microrobotic needle effectively targets and remains attached to cancerous tissue in lab experiments without needing continuous application of a magnetic field, allowing more precise drug delivery.
Light-Based Deep Brain Stimulation Relieves Symptoms of Parkinson’s DiseaseTBMG-3711506/01/2020
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have used deep brain stimulation based on light to treat motor dysfunction in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease. Succeeding where earlier attempts have failed, the method promises to provide new insights into why deep brain stimulation works and ways in which it can be improved on a patient-by-patient basis.
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.
Micromolding: Achieving Exacting Medical Device Manufacturing RequirementsTBMG-3692905/01/2020
It is undoubtedly fair to say that one of the key sectors driving innovation in the area of micromolding is the medical device industry. Demand for minimally invasive curative and diagnostic procedures is growing exponentially, and because of this, medical device manufacturers have been designing (and seeking to manufacture) smaller and smaller components, with thinner walls, and complex and miniature features. Couple this with the overarching demand from patients and healthcare providers to rationalize the costs associated with medical treatment, and medical device OEMs are constantly on the lookout for cost-effective and efficient manufacturing processes.
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