Industry News
AlphaGary Establishes European Compounding Facility for Regulated Industries
A little more than a year ago, AlphaGary Ltd. broke ground for the construction of a purpose-built compounding facility in Melton Mowbray (Leics, UK) to replace the plant it had occupied since 1981 in Syston (Leics, UK). Today, the Melton Mowbray site, which doubles the capacity of the old Syston plant, is fully operational. Such an accelerated time line would be remarkable under any circumstances; it is all the more astonishing when you consider that approximately one-third of the factory's space is reserved for the production of materials destined for use in regulated industries.
"This is really a factory within a factory," says Terry Brown, AlphaGary's managing director for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The firm was able to rapidly build what may be one of the most rigourously planned segregated areas for materials compounding in Europe because it had a model: AlphaGary's US operations in Pineville, NC. "It certainly helped us that the plant was mirrored after our state-of-the-art operation in Pineville," says Brown. "We benefitted from its learning curve," he adds.
The plant's regulated and nonregulated activities operate on parallel tracks. "From reception of the raw materials to blending to output, the materials assigned to segregated applications never leave the regulated side of the building," explains Brown. This attention to detail extends to the personnel and production equipment. "The operators assigned to the regulated area have their own canteen and showers," notes Brown, "and even the forklifts are dedicated to this side of the building."
In addition to accelerating production start-up, duplicating the Pineville operation also serves to maintain product consistency across the globe. "Our customers seek commonality, and providing them with consistent, reliable materials is one of our main priorities," stresses Brown. "We have the same controls and manufacturing processes that the Pineville plant does, and our clients can rest assured that the compounds are identical, whether they come from North America or Europe."
Brown also notes that this new European facility demonstrates AlphaGary's commitment to "maintaining proximity with our customers while offering them product diversity." The stated ambition is to attain the level of success in Europe that the company has achieved in the US medical device market. "It's a huge sector for us in the United States," says Brown, adding that with this state-of-the-art facility AlphaGary has given itself the resources to make good on that goal. And just in case demand surpasses expectations, the company has plenty of room to grow, he adds. "We have enough space available on this 10-acre site to increase capacity by another third, if necessary," says Brown.
Thermoplastic vinyl, thermoplastic elastomers, and specialty blends remain important materials for AlphaGary's medical compounding operations. "We have a strong position in specialty vinyl compounds, but we can offer our customers alternatives to PVC," he notes. Indeed, a great deal of R&D is going into alternative materials to PVC. "We are working on developing a nonvinyl-based thermoplastic compound that offers a PVC-like transparency," says Brown. "We are not quite there yet," he adds, "but we are making substantial strides."
The company's new compounding facility will have its grand opening on 21 January. Numerous dignitaries, including a member of the Royal Family, are scheduled to take part in the festivities.
For more information, contact AlphaGary Ltd., Beler Way, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE13 0DG, UK; phone: +44 1664 502222; fax: +44 1664 502250.
Software Bridges Gap between Medical Imaging and CAD
Recently developed software enables communication between CT and MRI scanners and CAD systems. MedCAD from Materialise B.V. (Leuven, Belgium) can be used either to export medical data into a CAD system or to import CAD data into medical images. The software enables users to design medical devices based on actual patient data and to verify the suitability of a design.
"It's important to note that MedCAD is not design software," stresses medical application engineer Kris Wouters. "Most designers are already familiar with a CAD package and they have better things to do than to learn yet one more CAD program." Nor is it an imaging tool, he adds. MedCAD, in fact, is akin to a bridge that allows data to efficiently navigate between the two systems.
Imaging data imported into MedCAD is converted into geometrical shapes. Only those surfaces that need to be visualized to determine fit can then be converted into free-form or B-spline surfaces. Conversely, CAD data can be imported into MedCAD via the STL interface: they can be visualized in 2-D sections together with the actual images or in 3-D representations in which the anatomical data are rendered transparently.
MedCAD supports CT and MRI scanners from GE, Siemens, Philips, Picker, Toshiba, and Hitachi, among others. The IGES output ensures compatibility with any 3-D CAD system.
For further information, contact Materialise B.V., Technologielaan 15, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; phone: +32 16 396611; fax: +32 16 396600; e-mail: prototype@materialise.be.
Eastman Acquires New Specialty Polymer Lines
Eastman Chemical B.V. (The Hague, Netherlands) recently announced its acquisition of two polymer lines from Chevron Chemical Company LLC (Houston, TX, USA). According to Phillip Griswold, vice president and general manager of Eastman's flexible plastics business unit, the acquisition of the ethylene methyl acrylate (EMAC) and ethylene butyl acrylate (EBAC) product lines will allow Eastman to enhance its offerings to the extrusion coating and specialty film sectors.
The EMAC and EBAC copolymers can be customized for a variety of applications where flexibility, tackiness, and stress resistance are desired. These applications include tie layers and laminating layers for extruded film and shrink force enhancement in specialty films. According to Jack Trexler, principal applications development chemist at Eastman, the EMAC and EBAC lines are a significant addition to the company's specialty medical plastics, and they will provide the company's customers with advantages in heat sealing. The copolymers can also be used in nonfilm products such as profiles, moulded parts, and fibres.
Doug Small, business market manager for medical applications at Eastman, points out that the EMAC and EBAC copolymers are very versatile and can be customized for use in a range of medical applications. "They are particularly well suited for ultrasoft and quiet films," he says. Small adds that the copolymers exhibit excellent adhesion, sealability, elasticity, and toughness, making them ideal candidates for a variety of multilayered films and packaging.
EMAC and EBAC will be manufactured at Eastman's facility in Longview, TX, USA, and will be supplied globally. The copolymers can be tailored to fit customer requirements, from prototypes for small-scale testing to full-scale production. In support of the new polymers, Eastman recently announced the opening of a customer service centre at the Longview facility featuring extrusion coating, cast film, blown film, and form-fill-seal capabilities.
Eastman manufactures and markets a range of specialty polymers for high-performance films and coatings in the medical and other industries. The company employs 16,000 people in more than 30 countries.
For more information, contact Eastman Chemical B.V., Tobias Asserlaan, 5, The Hague NL-2517 KC, Netherlands; phone: +31 70 3701711; fax: +31 70 3701702.
Jurors Announced for Medical Design Excellence Awards
Canon Communications llc, sponsor of the Medical Design Excellence Awards and publisher of European Medical Device Manufacturer, has announced the appointment of a distinguished panel of jurors to evaluate entries in the third annual competition, which recognizes the critical role of design and engineering in the efficacy, safety, and commercial success of medical products. Jurors will evaluate products according to an established set of criteria that includes aesthetics, form, and function; end-user benefits to patients and healthcare professionals; technological advancement and innovation; and design factors that facilitate production while reducing overall costs. The panel is composed of 10 members from the fields of medical device manufacturing, industrial design, human factors, engineering, medicine, nursing, product research and development, and academia.
Among the jurors is Douglas Anderson, chairman of Crombie Anderson Associates Ltd. (Dunfermline, Fife, UK). Anderson has more than 25 years of experience in high-technology product development. After receiving his qualification in industrial design engineering from Napier University (Edinburgh, UK), Anderson worked at a number of design firms prior to founding Crombie Anderson in 1981. The firm specializes in industrial design, mechanical design, electronics engineering, modelling, and prototyping and has assisted many medical device firms in the development of successful products. Anderson is also CEO of Optos plc (Dunfermline, Fife, UK), a device company involved in developing eye-care technologies that offer ophthalmologists and optometrists improved image-capture capability for the early detection and prevention of eye disease.
Award finalists will be announced at the Medical Design & Manufacturing West Conference & Exposition, 17–20 January, in Anaheim, CA, USA. Gold and silver award winners will be announced at a special ceremony to be held during the Medical Design & Manufacturing East Conference & Exposition, 5–8 June, in New York City.
For more information about the Medical Design Excellence Awards competition, contact Gretchen Hawley at Canon Communications llc, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 900, Los Angeles, CA 90064-1549, USA; phone: +1 310 9969447; fax: +1 310 9969499; e-mail: gretchen.hawley@cancom.com.
Thermoplastic Gives Medical Breathing System New Lease on Life
Despite several redesigns of a disposable breathing system, Gaunt Medical Products Div. of Dubois Ltd. (Corby, Northants, UK) was faced with the prospect of withdrawing its product from the market. Specifically, the firm was unable to correct performance problems associated with the device's Swivel Y design, which uses lips and undercuts to achieve snap-fit assembly. According to Dubois sales and marketing director Anthony Fraser, the company was on the verge of writing off approximately US$300,000 in tooling costs when it learned of Carilon, an engineering thermoplastic formulated by Shell Chemicals Ltd. (London).
The Swivel Y design was introduced as an alternative to conventional connectors, which are either fixed rigid plastic components or adjustable metal and rubber devices. The benefits included less-restrictive airflow and easier assembly for healthcare personnel. Over time, however, leakage problems became manifest in the Gaunt design. "We kept bouncing between increasing material strength, which led to leakage failure, and improvements in the interference fit, but at the cost of strength failure," says Fraser. Carilon's unique blend of properties, he adds, resolved this either-or situation.
Carilon is an aliphatic polyketone that combines strength, stiffness, and performance over a broad temperature range, wear and friction resistance, and low hydrocarbon permeability. It is chemical resistant, thereby reducing stress-cracking problems, and withstands gamma sterilization. In addition, it is a lubricious material, which facilitates movement of the breathing system's joint while ensuring a tight fit and minimizing leakage. The material's strength, flexibility, and resilience made possible the use of an undercut-and-lip architecture without risking damage or distortion to the finished product.
Shell collaborated with Dubois engineers to determine the material's optimal moulding characteristics and to reduce cycle times. The final design, notes Fraser, "has the functionality of a reusable y piece at the cost of a disposable." The product is distributed exclusively through Pall Medical (Portsmouth, Hants, UK).
Carilon is available in extrusion and injection moulding grades; glass-reinforced, flame-retardant, mineral-filled, and lubricated compounds can be supplied.
For more information, contact Shell Chemicals Ltd., Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA, UK; phone: +44 171 9346100; fax: +44 171 9346655.
Melitek Formalizes Alliance to Develop Non-Vinyl-Based Devices for US Market
The potential environmental and health hazards of PVC are attracting greater attention in the United States, but Denmark has long been at the vanguard of the movement to phase out use of the material. So it is only fitting that a Danish supplier of a PVC-substitute material has formalized an agreement with a US company to serve the North American medical market. Melitek (Hellerup, Denmark) has announced a marketing and technical alliance with Ferro Filled & Reinforced Plastics (Evansville, IN, USA) to supply Europe and North America with its RxLOY material. The move formalizes a seven-year working relationship, says Melitek managing director Svend-Axel Laursen, and will reinforce development of the RxLOY product line on both sides of the Atlantic.
RxLOY materials are specially formulated polyolefin alloys that are suited for a variety of medical device and packaging applications, including flexible film, tubing, and components. Properties of the compound include clarity, flexibility, and kink and impact resistance, and it can be formulated for heat and chemical resistance as well as toughness. Melitek produces the USP Class VI material in what is reportedly one of Europe's largest controlled-environment compounding facilities.
The transnational working relationship between the two companies has produced a line of olefin-based CAPD and IV bags, and the partners anticipate that the alliance will enable the companies to further develop RxLOY product lines for the European and North American markets. "Recent plasticized PVC disposal issues for hospitals, clinics, and HMOs in the United States have increased interest in RxLOY resins," says Joe Klein, marketing director at Ferro Filled & Reinforced Plastics. Resin economics is less and less of an issue when there are valid medical reasons for an olefin-based system, he adds.
For more information, contact Melitek, Gammel Vartov Vej 44, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark; phone: +45 70250255; fax: +45 70250277; e-mail: info@melitek.dk.
Swedish Moulder Inaugurates Medical Cleanroom
A company that develops and manufactures liquid silicone rubber and thermoplastic elastomer components has announced that its new 3000-m2 cleanroom will be in full operation by January 2000. Initially, Medical Rubber AB (Hörby, Sweden) plans to run 25 moulding machines in the plant on a three-shift schedule. As demand grows, the facility may house as many as 40 machines, says sales manager Tommy Mansson.
The new production area, which incorporates Class 10,000 and Class 100,000 cleanrooms, is dedicated to the production of silicone rubber components for the medical device industry. Regulatory issues were a foremost concern during the design and construction phase, says Mansson, who notes that the facility will achieve fast-track compliance with US FDA and EU quality systems requirements. In fact, he adds, the plant is designed to serve as a benchmark for some years to come.
"We thought about the ways in which regulatory guidelines might evolve in the years ahead, and we integrated those ideas into the facility," he says. To minimize human intervention, for example, a conveyor system has been installed in the cleanroom. "We wanted to reduce the potential for contamination as much as possible," says Mansson.
The increase in capacity—the old facility will continue to operate—will enable Medical Rubber to offer its customers a more comprehensive range of services as well. "Part of the rationale behind this expansion is to provide our customers with just-in-time production and delivery," says Mansson. "People don't want to shop around for services, and this new facility gives us the resources to provide more in the way of outsourcing," he adds.
For additional information, contact Medical Rubber AB, Medical Meadow, S-242 93 Hörby, Sweden; phone: +46 415 19700; fax: +46 415 10054.
Web-Based System Synchronizes and Documents Product Development
"If you didn't document it, you didn't do it" is a favorite catchphrase of regulatory officials. Reconciling traceability requirements with today's business environment, in which project-team members in far-flung corners of the globe collaborate under strict cost and time constraints, can be a daunting task. To help project managers tie together resources and tools, Mesa Systems Guild Inc. (Warwick, RI, USA) develops, markets, and maintains Web-based product development portals. These portals provide an environment in which project-team members can create and store project materials, meet on time-sensitive topics, view project history, and ultimately resolve issues in a cost-effective and timely manner. The company's newest project portal, Mesa/Vista 3.5, enhances numerous functions of the previous release, but one of its core features is the ability of team members to customize project views.
"MyVista personalizes team members' screens with those items that are relevant to their specific tasks," explains company cofounder and vice president of engineering Alan Hecht. "This innovation along with an improved interface gives the user a more intuitive environment to efficiently complete critical action items." A personalized project portal page, MyVista enables users to customize favourites, notices, action items, meeting lists, and documents in progress.
Like the company's other products, Mesa/Vista 3.5 harnesses the power of the World Wide Web to enable project managers to make rapid and informed decisions based on "live" information and to permit development engineers to immediately access the data they need to complete their tasks. Authorized viewers can access all the appropriate information regardless of the systems and software that they use. "You can navigate through the system without having the native software on your desktop," stresses Hecht. "Mesa/Vista is a neutral
Globalization and the necessity to rigorously document processes has made the medical device industry one of the key sectors targeted by Mesa Systems Guild. Hecht cites the experience of how a leading device company successfully implemented Mesa/Vista in the development process of a haemotology analyzer.
The company had set as priorities the establishment of a database methodology for sharing vital project information across the division and the maintenance of project data in compliance with ISO 9001 and the US FDA quality system regulation. It was also critical that legacy codes be used as much as possible to accelerate regulatory approval. If Mesa/Vista had not been able to document inherited codes from earlier product iterations, the company would have had to spend several months performing essentially redundant tasks. The outcome exceeded expectations: US FDA approved the product on first review and the analyzer, widely considered to be the most sophisticated device in its price category, has achieved significant success in world markets.
For more information about Mesa/Vista 3.5 and the company's other products, contact Mesa Systems Guild Inc., 60 Quaker Ln., Warwick, RI 02886, USA; phone: +1 401 8288500; fax: +1 401 8289550; e-mail: info@mesasys.com.
Elo TouchSystems Strengthens Position in Medical Industry
Elo TouchSystems Inc. (Kessel-Lo, Belgium), a supplier of touch screen technology, recently announced its acquisition of National Integration Services Inc. (NIS; Rochester, NY, USA) and Carroll Touch Systems (Round Rock, TX, USA). The acquisitions are expected to double Elo's revenues in the medical sector.
"Elo's acquisition of NIS is the next step toward fulfilling our strategic goal of offering customers an unrivaled catalogue of integrated touch solutions," says Emily Liggett, president of the company. Elo, a subsidiary of Tyco International Ltd. (Hamilton, Bermuda), supplies touch screen systems to a variety of industries. The company's touch monitors are used in medical imaging equipment and control stations for image archiving.
Stephan Herron, European marketing manager at Elo, notes that NIS is a longtime participant in Elo's programme of alliances with systems integrators. "They have a history of integrating our technology, so this is really a natural step," he says. NIS is a custom touch monitor manufacturer specializing in operator-interface applications for the medical industry. The company, which has developed expertise in the application of touch screen technology to clinical diagnostics, was recently named 1999 supplier of the year by Abbott Laboratories (Chicago, IL, USA). NIS president Jim Odorczyk, now also vice president of Elo, says that NIS has a strong background in custom work for OEMs and notes that more than 75% of the company's output is supplied to the medical sector. "We're used to providing systems with specialized enclosures, mountings, and shieldings for medical applications," he says, adding that NIS will act as the custom development arm of Elo.
The news about NIS follows Elo's October 1999 acquisition of Carroll Touch Systems, a supplier of infrared touch screen products to manufacturers of equipment for laboratory and operating room environments. The Carroll Touch name will become Elo's brand for the infrared product line.
"We're seeing a lot of interest in touch technology in the medical sector," says Herron, adding, "touch screens are cleaner to use and easier to train on than mouse-and-wire systems." Following the acquisitions, Elo announced the release of a new line of touch monitors designed for the medical industry. The Entuitive series includes both cathode-ray-tube and LCD desktop models that offer stable, drift-free operation and scratch resistance.
For more information, contact Elo TouchSystems Inc., Diestsesteenweg 692, Kessel-Lo B-3010, Belgium; phone: +32 16 352100; fax: +32 16 3502101.
In Brief
Adhesives Research Opens Facility in Ireland
Adhesives Research Europe Ltd. (Great Dunmow, Essex, UK) has announced the opening of a 24,000-sq-ft facility at its European headquarters in Limerick, Ireland. The new plant meets GMP requirements and offers cleanroom production with segregated manufacturing areas for mixing, coating, and finishing processes. Coating capabilities include web cleaners, on-line coating and substrate measurement, slot die, reverse roll, knife-over roll, and reverse gravure. The plant also features an R&D facility and a quality control laboratory with analytical capabilities.
Adhesives Research develops, produces, and markets specialty pressure-sensitive adhesive-coated products and offers adhesive polymerization and coating, mixing, and release liner design. The company is certified to ISO 9001.
For more information, contact Adhesives Research Europe Ltd., Melville House, High St., Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1AF, UK; phone: +44 1371 878187; fax: +44 1371 878186; e-mail: mrobertson@mail.adhesivesresearch.com.
Merger Creates Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics
Saint-Gobain (Paris) recently merged the operations of its wholly owned subsidiary, Norton Performance Plastics (Corby, Northants, UK) with the newly acquired Furon Co. (Gembloux, Belgium) to create a new business unit, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (SGPPL; Wayne, NJ, USA).
According to Robert C. Ayotte, chairman and CEO of the new unit, "The formation of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics brings together two businesses with similar core competencies in high-performance polymers." The merger enables SGPPL to offer engineered plastic products and to process high-performance polymers such as fluoropolymers, silicones, and high-temperature thermoplastics. The new unit will continue to provide fluid control and fluid delivery products to the device industry.
For more information, contact SGPPL, 150 Dey Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470, USA ; phone: +1 973 6964700; fax: +1 973 6964056.
Battenfeld Acquired by Madison Capital Partners
Madison Capital Partners (Chicago, IL, USA), a holding company that oversees a number of machinery manufacturers, recently acquired the injection moulding technology business of Battenfeld (Meinerzhagen, Germany) from SMS AG (Düsseldorf, Germany). Battenfeld, a supplier of injection moulding equipment with locations in Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, was sold to Madison as an independent company, Battenfeld IMT. It will continue to operate under the same name. SMS will now focus its plastics machinery activities on extrusion.
For more information, contact Battenfeld IMT, Scherl 10, D-58540 Meinerzhagen, Germany; phone: +49 2354 72560;
fax: +49 2354 72575; e-mail: presse@bse.battenfeld.com.
Rhodia Absorbs Applied Silicone's Medical Assets
Rhodia Silicones (Cranbury, NJ, USA), a specialty chemical division of Rhône-Poulenc (Lyon, France), recently announced it will acquire certain assets of the health and medical applications businesses of Applied Silicone Corp. (Ventura, CA, USA). The acquisition will include a facility in Ventura and involves the manufacturer's elastomer, fluid, gel, adhesive, dispersion, sheeting, tubing, and mouldable silicone products.
According to Gilles Grenier, general manager of Rhodia Silicones North America, "Acquiring the healthcare and medical applications businesses of Applied Silicone will enhance our North American specialty silicones product offerings and enable us to enter a new market with silicones for medical applications."
For more information, contact Rhône-Poulenc, 17–19 Ave. Georges Pompidou, F-69486 Lyon, France; phone: +33 472 131930; fax: +33 472 131933; e-mail: frederic.jacquin@eu.rhodia.com.
US FDA Guidance Available on Internet
A new guidance document titled "Regulation of Medical Devices: Background for International Officials" has been issued by US FDA. Created to replace a similar guidance published in 1996, the revised document aims to assist foreign governments in understanding the agency's structure, activities, and regulations for marketing and exporting medical devices to the United States. The document offers updated information on the agency, including changes implemented in the 1997 FDA Modernization Act. Readers may download a copy by visiting the US FDA Web site.
Also available on the US FDA Web site is an outline of the agency's proposed strategy on the reuse of single-use medical devices.
Metalor Acquires Microfil
A supplier of metal and alloy components, Métaux Précieux S.A. Metalor (Neuchâtel, Switzerland) has acquired metal fabricator Microfil Industries S.A. (Cossonay-Gare, Switzerland). Microfil develops and manufactures microtechnology products from stainless steel and special alloys for use in cardiology, neurology, and endoscopy devices. By absorbing Microfil's product line and technology, Metalor intends to establish an integrated operation to service the device industry with an array of development, production, logistic, and marketing activities.
For further information, contact Microfil Industries S.A., Case Postale 27, CH-1305 Cossonay-Gare, Switzerland; phone: +41 21 8618918; fax: +41 21 8618900.
Shows and Conferences
Arab Health 2000 Returns to Cairo
The Cairo International Conference and Exhibition Centre (Cairo, Egypt) will host Arab Health 2000, an exhibition that alternates biennially with a conference in Dubai. The event, which will be held on 26–29 January, will showcase state-of-the-art technologies and products to visitors from the North African, Levant, and Maghreb regions. The conference is also expected to attract visitors from countries such as Syria, the Sudan, Libya, and Iran, whose markets traditionally have been difficult to penetrate.
For more information, contact IIR Exhibitions Ltd., 29 Bressenden Pl., Fl. 5, Victoria, London SW1E 5DR, UK; phone: +44 171 8086400; fax: +44 171 2338628; e-mail: yvoniirx@compuserve.com.
Altenpflege 2000 Comes to Germany
Altenpflege 2000, an international trade fair and congress devoted to products and services for elder care, will be held 1–3 February at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds (Hannover, Germany). The event is expected to attract 650 exhibitors and 38,000 visitors and will feature a comprehensive display of products and services suitable for residential and community care.
For more information, contact Vincentz Verlag, Postfach 62 47, D-30062 Hannover, Germany; phone: +49 511 9910171; fax: +49 511 9910199; e-mail: fuellkrug@vincentz.de.
Bioscan Offers a Series of Seminars
Bioscan B.V. (Bilthoven, Netherlands), a test and research laboratory that conducts biocompatibility and biological safety testing for medical devices, will offer several seminars in 2000. Class I Products: How to Be in Conformity with the Medical Devices Directive will be held 28 January. A second workshop discussing sterilization validation, the cleaning of reusable products, and microbiological safety requirements will be conducted on 3 March.
For more information, contact Bioscan B.V., Prof. Bronkhorstlaan 10, NL-3723 MB Bilthoven, Netherlands; phone: +31 30 2295100; fax: +31 30 2288430; e-mail: info@bioscan.nl.
Aachen Hosts Biomaterials Symposium
The Colloquium on Biomaterials will be held at the Universitätsklinikum der RWTH on 17–18 February 2000. Event topics include hard and soft tissue contact, molecular biology, and new aspects of biomaterials. The meeting will emphasize interactions between researchers and producers of biomaterials, implants, and medical devices.
For more information, contact Universitätsklinikum der RWTH, Pauwelsstr. 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany; phone: +49 241 8089918; fax: +49 241 8888497.
Medizin 2000 to Be Held in Stuttgart
Medizin 2000, the South German Trade Exhibition for Medical Technology, Pharmacy, Materials, and Equipment for Surgery and Hospitals, will be held 11–13 February in Stuttgart, Germany. Medical technology will be featured.
For more information, contact Messe Stuttgart International, Am Kochenhof 16, Postfach 10 32 52, D-70028 Stuttgart, Germany; phone: +49 711 2589584; fax: +49 711 2589305.
E-database increases device hazard awareness
The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies (Warren, NJ, USA) and ECRI (Welwyn Garden City, Herts, UK) have launched an electronic database geared toward assisting healthcare professionals identify hazards associated with some medical devices. The Medical Device Safety Reports (MDSR), a Web-based repository of medical device hazard information available on-line at http://www.mdsr.ecri.org, includes guidelines healthcare professionals can follow to prevent or reduce risks associated with medical devices. ECRI, a nonprofit health services research agency, independently examines the information posted to this site.
NICE offers forum on healthcare council activities
A new Web site, http://www.gmarkham.dircon.co.uk, provides the medical device industry with up-to-date information on National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) activities, as well as on the group's interactions with the Association of British Health Care Industries (ABHI) and the Department of Health. Visitor feedback regarding the effects of NICE activities on the device sector is encouraged.
