Every project is going to have unexpected challenges. The project team needs to analyze the situation and respond quickly to keep the project on-track. Experience is key. If working with seasoned medical device professionals who have been in the trenches, are well-connected in the industry, and appreciate the “speed-to-market” mindset, the team will be better equipped to make the changes needed to hit the project milestones for a successful product launch. 3 Tips to a Successful Outsourced Device Launch describes the process for an on-time, under-budget medical device product launch — without having to pop four aspirin a day.
With 3D printing, the benefits realized from a physical prototype are even greater as the speed at which these can be provided is unlike anything previously available. 3D printed parts can often be turned around in 24 hours through a service provider or for those designers who have the luxury of their own printer in-house, they can get a physical prototype even quicker. 3D Printing Ushers in a New Age for Prototyping brings the discussion to the Roundtable for further insight.
Monitoring patients is no longer a practice that is confined solely to the hospital. Health monitoring technologies designed specifically for the home are beginning to proliferate as a result of the rising costs of healthcare and patient transportation issues, among others. Due to this, sensor design for monitoring devices must be tailored specifically for the challenges of home use. With this in mind, MDT took some time to speak with Jeremy Lug, new product development manager at Metrigraphics, LLC, and Rick Ercolano, director of medical vertical sales at Honeywell Sensing and Control. Getting a ‘Sense’ of Monitoring Health at Home offers their insights into trends, challenges, and the future of at-home sensing in patient monitoring.
Product development of orthopedic bioabsorbable implants requires the knowledge of the dynamics of bioabsorption. Bioabsorption is simulated in vitro by hydrolysis experiments. Several variables including shear and bending strength, mass loss, inherent viscosity, etc. are measured at different intervals of time. These factors depend on the composition of the material and process variables like draw ratio. The product development problem consists of finding good values for composition and draw ratio, which will result in a desired degradation profile. If performed through trial and error, this process would require too much effort and would consume a lot of expensive raw materials. Models Add Efficiency to Bioabsorbable Implant Development explains how nonlinear models, among others, helped shorten this work by a significant factor.
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