Machining Materials: A Primer on Photoetching
(MD&DI)
Photoetching can offer several advantages for treating materials used in medical devices.

Materials Database Incorporates Orthopedic Devices
(MPMN)

Coating Company Refocuses Business from Frying Pans to Functional Coatings
(MPMN)

Stainless Steel Takes a Backseat to Newer Biomaterials
(MPMN)
As evidence of proven applications mounts, nitinol and PEEK push traditional biocompatible metals to the periphery.

GLS Alloy Makes Pain Therapy Device Easy on the Hands and Eyes
(EMDM)

Polyetheretherketone For Long-Term Implantable Devices
(MDT)
Extremely few new polymeric materials become adopted by the medical device industry. This is partly because of the quality of existing materials and partly a consequence of the high costs of introducing new ones.

The Evolving Functionalities Of Coatings
(MDT)
Coatings that mediate the interface between biological tissue and implant are arguably some of the most critical material components that affect the performance of a medical device.

A Hydrophilic Technology For Intermittent Urinary Catheters
(MDT)
A biocompatible and highly lubricous hydrophilic coating has been developed for intermittent urinary catheters.

Silicones In Medical Electronics
(MDT)
The use of silicones, although already extensive, is set to grow in medical electronics.

Nanocrystalline Material With Gigacycle Fatigue Life
(MDT)
A processing technology has been developed that can be applied to many different fine wire medical alloys to improve their fatigue properties.

Cages and Chondrocytes: Techniques to Replace and Regenerate the Troublesome Intervertebral Disc
(MDT)
Techniques for spinal surgery are developing apace, and there are divergent views on the merits of facilitating spinal fusion or attempting to replace or regenerate the degenerative intervertebral disc.

Dissolvable films and their potential in IVDs
(IVDT)
Dissolvable films offer design alternatives to IVD manufacturers.

Nanowires with Protein Coating Achieve Cellular Penetration
(MPMN)

Nanowire Coating Strengthens Implants
(MD&DI)

New Frontiers in Polymer Surface Modification
(MD&DI)
A robust, built-in surface is possible by using self-assembling monolayer end groups—a technology that can be applied to virtually any polymer.

Diamond Could Play Role in Medical Implantables
(EMDM)

Copolyester Provides Alternative to Glass Packaging
(EMDM)

Developments in Medical-Grade Materials
(EMDM)
Medical device designers can choose materials based on information in a powerful new database or adopt innovative formulations with a variety of desirable properties.

Precious Metals: Materials of Diversity
(MDT)
The properties of precious metals and their alloys make them suitable for an expanding number of applications.

Biocompatible Materials Developments For New Medical Implants
(MDT)
Recent work on modifying silicone rubber to improve water permeability and biocompatibility is described.

Phthalate Labelling of Medical Devices
(MDT)
In the European Union, the use of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in medical devices has been under serious pressure. A proposed ban on its use was avoided and changed into a labelling requirement.

Tailoring Established Polymers For Medical Applications
(MDT)
Polymers can be tailored for specific biomedical applications by synthesis, processing or surface modification. Knowledge-based choice of comonomers for acrylonitrile based copolymers influences the interaction profile with specific cell lines and blood.

Plastics Allay Material Concerns
(MPMN)
Developments in plastics enable OEMs to meet new requirements and offer better solutions.

Nanoscale Polymer Strands Anchor New Adhesive
(MPMN)

Plasma Coating Process Produces Multifunctional Medical-Grade Textiles
(MPMN)

Peeling the Layers of Artificial Bone
(MD&DI)

The Need for a Systems Approach in Biomaterials Testing
(MDT)
Many factors can affect the characterisation of biomaterials during testing. These include drugs administered prior to testing and shear stress on blood cells induced by different blood flows and specific blood donor conditions.

The Importance of Advanced Material Selection and Testing Strategies
(MDT)
The success of new product development (NPD) projects can be increased by employing a strategic and integrated approach to material selection and testing.

A European Regulatory Pathway For Tissue Engineering – At Last
(MDT)
After many years of scientific and political struggles, the European Union now appears to be heading for success in the development of a new regulatory pathway for innovative therapeutic products, including those of tissue engineering.

Stretching the Possibilities with Silicone Molding Technologies
(MPMN)
Injection overmolding of bondable liquid silicone rubber and two-shot silicone-thermoplastic molding represent recent additions to the U.S. medical molding market.

Materials: Adding Sustainability to Product Development
(MD&DI)
Material selection can be an integral part of ensuring sustainability for medical devices.

Mesh and Stent Combo Delivers Microcapsules
(MD&DI)

New TPEs Provide Material Flexibility
(MD&DI)
Medical device OEMs have many options to address molding needs with thermoplastic elastomers.

Spotlight: Plastics and Elastomers
(MPMN)

Coatings Cover Many Bases for Device Makers
(MD&DI)
Whether they consist of one layer or more, coatings can serve more than one purpose.

Hydrogel Shows Promise for Medical Device Applications
(EMDM)

NO-Releasing Polymers Exhibit Medical Benefits
(EMDM)

Metastable Biocompatibility: A New Approach
(MDT)
The performance of biomaterials may be better understood by viewing biocompatibility not as a stable state, but as a metastable state.

A New PCB Base Material to Support Higher-Power ICs
(MEM)
Stiff, lightweight carbon composite laminates offer thermal-management advantages when incorporated into boards for advanced electronic devices.

More than a Decade Later, Silicone Implants Still Controversial
(MD&DI)

Using Acrylic to Lower Costs and Make Smaller Devices
(MD&DI)
As medical device prices increase and their sizes shrink, careful materials selection is becoming one way that OEMs can reduce costs.

Composite Material Boasts Strength of Metals, Flexibility of Thermoplastics
(MPMN)

Blisters Exhibit New Forms and Materials
(PMPN)
Forming solutions promise more-efficient blister production.

Carbon Nanotubes in Medical Technology
(MDT)
One of the more important classes of material to emerge from the recent developments in nanotechnology has been the carbon nanotube. A variety of nanoscale carbon tube structures have been prepared and this article discusses their structure, properties and potential medical applications.

Modifying Surfaces and Interfaces For Improved Biomaterial Performance
(MDT)
Greater understanding of the fundamental processes that drive a body's response to an implant material is leading to new approaches in biomaterial surface engineering. Some recent work is reported. The discussion looks, respectively, at the important roles of the surface water layer and microscopic molecular domains, the new emphasis on conducting polymers and future developments.

The Interface Between Biomaterials Science and Biotechnology
(MDT)
Biotechnology has evolved over the years, moving on from crop protection to drug discovery. Similarly, biomaterials science has moved forward from implantable medical device technology to drug and gene delivery and tissue engineering. It was perhaps inevitable that they should eventually meet.

Improving the Surface Friction of Silicone Elastomer Parts
(MDT)
The relatively high coefficient of friction of silicone elastomers can limit the range of applications of these materials. A liquid silicone rubber top coat can be used to improve surface friction of silicone elastomer parts. It can be applied using conventional coating methods. The performance benefits it offers and potential product applications are described.

Laser Basics: Interactions with Materials
(MD&DI)
Engineers should understand the fundamentals of lasers and how they are used for material processing in the device industry.

CFR PEEK Composite for Surgical Applications
(MD&DI)
A composite of PEEK and carbon fibers can be designed so that a load-bearing implant acts more like bone and is suitable for imaging.

Radiopaque Compounds Offer Alternative to Lead-Based Products
(EMDM)

Cast Optical Resins Poised to Replace Glass in Some Medical Products
(EMDM)

Silicones for Drug-Delivery Applications
(MD&DI)
Understanding the structural and chemical properties of various types of silicones may give manufacturers a much-needed boost in choosing drug-delivery materials.

Forming Rigid Barriers
(PMPN)
Device makers are investigating gas barrier options for rigid packaging and addressing material costs.

Using Polyurethanes in Medical Applications
(MD&DI)
Polyurethanes are ideal for use in many medical devices. But manufacturers must know how to use them in order to leverage their versatile properties.

Stainless-Steel Options for Medical Instrument Tubing
(MD&DI)
Understanding the properties of different alloys is crucial to selecting the right material for a particular application.

Biomaterials: We Have the Technology
(MD&DI)
The biomaterials market stands on the cusp of technological breakthroughs.

Finding the Right Rigid Materials
(PMPN)
When it comes to manufacturing rigid packaging for medical devices, it's all about the materials.