November 2017 issue: Medical Device Handbook 2017 + more

Why the Medical Device Handbook matters

Medical device suppliers are way beyond the times when they merely filled orders to spec for medtech OEMs. From incorporating steerability into catheters to getting validation and testing done right, the companies serving the medical device industry have become specialized experts.

Through our annual Medical Device Handbook, we seek to harness this expertise for the medical device industry. We requested articles from medical device designers, outsourcers and consultants that avoided marketing pitches and instead provided useful information for our community.

Whether medical device developers are new to, say, catheters, electronic components or rapid manufacturing, the nearly 50 articles in this issue should hopefully help them dip their toes into these areas.

Here are just a few examples of the expertise to be had in this year’s Medical Device Handbook:

Medical doctors “want better performance and improved functionality in the catheters and delivery systems they use,” said Anthony Appling, senior director of research and development at Freudenberg Medical, Minimally Invasive Solutions (Jeffersonville, Ind.). “One of the most important parameters is the ability to steer a catheter with confidence and ease through challenging anatomies and deflect the tip for precise placement at its final target.” Appling lists seven principal factors that medical device developers should consider.
Heraeus’s CerMet – an advanced ceramic and metal technology system – creates the potential for implantable devices with thousands of electrical channels. Think new options for treating blindness and neurological conditions.
Scaling to high-volume manufacturing requires companies to think ahead and prepare for the future early in the product lifecycle, according to Gavin Wadas, manager of strategic capital projects for B. Braun Medical, OEM Division. Wadas lists four things medical device companies should reflect upon before they scale up.
We have a solid roundup of the growing assortment of 3D printing options available for medtech development, courtesy of Jon Eric Van Roekel, 3D printing process engineering manager at Proto Labs (Maple Plain, Minn.).