Medical Device Link.

EDITOR'S PAGE:
Housing Project: Building Rooms for Hepatocytes
by Jon Katz

As a part of the quest to create artificial organs, emerging microfabrication techniques are enabling researchers to construct complex architectures to stimulate cell function.

COVER STORY:
New Options for Micromachining Medical Devices
by Gary Thomas and Harry E. Corl III

Combining conventional machining methods with innovative ideas brings new dimensions to medical device manufacturing.

BOTTOM LINE
Suppliers and the Biomaterials Act: A New Avenue for Protection?
by Ralph Campillo

An existing federal statute is designed to shield biomaterials suppliers from potential lawsuits. A recent case suggests that implant manufacturers can also assert the statute to protecft their suppliers.

MEDICAL PLASTICS AND BIOMATERIALS
Using Adhesives Effectively in Medical Devices
by George W. Ritter

Careful consideration of joint design, surface preparation, and adhesive choice will ensure effective bonds for medical procedures.

WASHINGTON WRAP-UP:
An Echo of FDA Wrongdoing?
by James G. Dickinson

Another device reclassification leads to controversy involving the CDHR division overseeing dental devices.

DESIGN:
Beyond Product Development: Creating a Process that Drives Innovation
by Thomas J. Lenk, Aritomo Shinozaki, and Christina Hepner Brodie

Moving efficiently and effectively from idea to finished product requires medical device manufacturers to integrate concept, technology and product development strategies into every phase of their operation.

MOLDING:

Metal Injection Molding: Enhanced Processes offer High-Precision Results
by Karl F. Hens

Parts can be mass-produced from stainless steel and other alloys using recently developed molding technology.