INDUSTRY NEWS
A database that can be licensed for Web access or in-house server installation contains searchable information on more than 500 grades of materials and coatings approved for use in cardiovascular devices. The result of a collaborative effort from ASM International (Materials Park, OH, USA) and Granta Design (Cambridge, UK), the Cardiovascular Module provides researchers and designers with comprehensive information on mechanical, physical, and drug-compatibility properties of the materials and coatings. Biological response data available in the database include degradation rates, surface-treatment options, and biocompatibility information. Installations on in-house servers can be extended to include proprietary data.
The program features a search engine that enables users to enter specific material names or to locate a range of compatible materials for a given application by entering material requirements. Data also are organized under a variety of subheads, providing users with another method of finding information. “After using the module for a while, users can see that it really is intuitive and that they can quickly find the data they are looking for,” ASM International group manager Don Lensner says.
The product of thousands of hours of data acquisition, the database references the sources of all of the information it contains, citing manufacturers’ datasheets, peer-reviewed journals, FDA device approvals, and online documentation. “Work began on this project at the beginning of 2004 and continued until its February release,” Lensner explains.
“The demand for a database like this has existed for a long time,” he adds. “US FDA identified this need and attempted to create a similar material data catalogue in the late 1990s. They eventually aborted the project because they underestimated the vast amount of work that would be required to complete it.”
ASM International plans on regularly updating the database to reflect developments in the cardiovascular product industry. An orthopaedic database module and an expanded version of the cardiovascular module are scheduled to be released later this year.
For more information, contact ASM International, 9639 Kinsman Rd., Materials Park, OH 44073-0002, USA; phone: +1 800 3689800; fax: +1 440 3384634; e-mail: don.lensner@asminternational.org; Internet: www.asminternational.org.
