What is the difference between two-part and three-part syringes?

Syringes remain an integral part of the medical industry, yet they are often an afterthought in the R&D or production phase.

William Foley, Air-Tite Products

[Image courtesy of Air-Tite Products]

With the wide variety of options available on the market containing fundamental differences in design and composition, can the syringe selection affect the end-product?

Occasionally a researcher or engineer may have difficulty identifying the source of various contaminates in their process.  Sometimes the source is either the rubber or silicone oil found in common three-part syringes. If that becomes apparent in your process, there may yet remain another low-cost option by way of a two-part syringe. Two-part syringes are slightly different because they do not use a rubber tip on the plunger to create a vacuum seal.  Instead, these syringes have been specifically designed to not introduce additional materials…

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Six degrees of freedom can boost minimally invasive surgical techniques

Tiny and precise, smarter 6DOF wire-winding technologies can increase surgical access and improve outcomes.

Garrett Plank, TT Electronics

Ultra-fine wire-winding techniques enable sensor data acquisition via new angular 6DOF, a measurement reference to a device’s capability for accuracy based on multiple axes across which the device can move. [Image courtesy of TT Electronics]

Minimally invasive surgical procedures require advanced motion tracking technology that can locate surgical instruments and tools inside the human body when there is no clear line of sight. Electromagnetic tracking (EMT) technology enables this performance: Electromagnetic coils drive the “six degrees of freedom,” known as 6DOF, that empower surgeons and clinicians to clearly visualize and navigate the human body. Today, advancements in electromagnetics are increasing 6DOF accuracy without increasing the size of the device.

Where 6…

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The future of medtech is about connectivity and data

Here’s why medtech companies must embrace innovation, connectivity and disruption.

DeviceTalks

Healthcare must shift away from responding to acute episodes and focus on chronic and preventive care to provide better care, value, and population health. Data will inform the transition. Key questions include, “What does this mean for medtech? What role does medtech play in the future?”

The topic of innovation in healthcare — including devices, data, and disruption — was the focus of a recent episode of DeviceTalks Tuesdays, sponsored by S3 Connected Health.

Panelists included medical device experts Bill Betten, director of solutions – medtech for S3 Connected Health, and Michael Hill, PhD, retired VP of corporate science, technology and innovation at Medtronic and currently a partner at Science Innovation.

Here are five takeaways on the growing importance of data and disruption in medtech.

Get the full story on our s…

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The future of medtech is about connectivity and data

Here’s why medtech companies must embrace innovation, connectivity and disruption.

DeviceTalks

Healthcare must shift away from responding to acute episodes and focus on chronic and preventive care to provide better care, value, and population health. Data will inform the transition. Key questions include, “What does this mean for medtech? What role does medtech play in the future?”

The topic of innovation in healthcare — including devices, data, and disruption — was the focus of a recent episode of DeviceTalks Tuesdays, sponsored by S3 Connected Health.

Panelists included medical device experts Bill Betten, director of solutions – medtech for S3 Connected Health, and Michael Hill, PhD, retired VP of corporate science, technology and innovation at Medtronic and currently a partner at Science Innovation.

Here are five takeaways on the growing importance of data and disruption in medtech:

1. Medical devices are becoming connected

Initially, “T…

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How to design the best check valve for your medical device

An elastomeric check valve ensures that regardless of any back pressures in the system, there isn’t a reverse flow causing cross-contamination.

Tara Bryce, Vernay

Common elastomeric check valves include duckbill valves (left) and combination valves (right). [Image courtesy of Vernay]

The complexity of the elastomeric check valve in your medical device requires considering this important function in the early stages of design and development. Postponing an in-depth consultation with your check valve supplier can cause delays and expensive redesigns.

As today’s medical device market becomes increasingly complex and technology takes huge leaps forward, the check valve remains an integral part of the performance and reliability of each device. An elastomeric check valve ensures that regardless of any back pressures in the system, the drug, blood, saline or other fluid/material doesn’t encounter a reverse flo…

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How to choose the right rubber material and process for your medical parts

Creating a medical component with a rubber material requires careful attention to various factors that will affect performance and manufacturability. Material choices and manufacturing options present many trade-offs.

Don Bonitati, Minnesota Rubber & Plastics

Elastomer components image courtesy of Minnesota Rubber & Plastics

The long list of material properties impacting an elastomer component’s performance includes your prospective polymer’s end-use environment, chemical compatibility, hardness, compression set, tensile properties and manufacturability, to name a few. Although the selection process may appear daunting, understanding your application, your material options’ physical and mechanical properties, and the interaction with mating components will go a long way. These key attributes, in conjunction with understanding volume ramp schedules, will drive the proper manufacturing processes…

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5 challenges Boston Scientific overcame to make single-use scopes work

FDA wanted single-use scopes to reduce potentially deadly superbug infections. Here’s how Boston Scientific made it happen.

The Exalt Model D [Image courtesy of Boston Scientific]

Boston Scientific’s Exalt Model D Single-Use Duodenoscope received FDA clearance in December 2019. It was the first device of its kind to hit the medical market. Just five months earlier, the FDA urged device manufacturers to move away from re-usable duodenoscopes with endcaps that were more difficult to clean and led to “superbug” infections in 1 in 20 cases. As it so happened, Boston Scientific was already working on a single-use scope.

Now on the market, Exalt is making its way into physician’s offices, but it was a complicated journey.

Boston Scientific’s chief medical officer Dr. Brian Dunkin recently told Medical Design & Outsourcing that the company overcame five challenges to make Exalt a reality:

1. Predicting …
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What is a proportional isolation valve?

A “proportional” isolation valve can bring the next level of control and design for engineers, especially in life science industries.

Doug Paynter, Clippard

The Eclipse proportional isolation valve [Image courtesy of Clippard]

When we talk about proportional valves, whether they are pneumatic or hydraulic, we typically refer to valves that vary their flow path when you apply an increasing or decreasing amount of power/current to the proportional valve’s coil. This input to the coil will generate an ever-increasing (or decreasing) magnetic field capable of moving the proportional valve’s internal poppet or spool-designed mechanism. For example, using a low wattage pneumatic proportional valve, 0-185 mA (nominal 0-10 VDC) can be used to generate 0-65 LPM @ 100 psi working pressure. Another means of proportional control would be using a stepper motor to position a needle or plate.

So, typical proport…

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Keep the end in mind when choosing a medtech partner

There are five general categories of medtech vendor partners. If the end is apparent in the beginning, the correct type of partner will be more apparent.

[Image from Pixabay]

Jim Reed, Minnetronix Medical

Stephen Covey gave the business world this mantra in one of his bestsellers: “Start with the end in mind.” Whether they didn’t read the book or simply choose to ignore the advice, many companies enter into discussions with vendors without their end goal in mind. It sets the partnership on an inefficient course from the beginning. If the end results aren’t front and center from the beginning of the vendor selection process, the outcomes may include frustration and misunderstanding.

When looking for a vendor partner to bring a product to life, the choices can be as widespread as 1) a $12 billion global contract manufacturer with 50,000 employees that develops both industrial and consumer products, 2) a mi…

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How COVID-19 changed medical device clinical trials forever

The success of remote clinical trial oversight opens the door to hybrid approaches and creates new possibilities for the future of trials. DeviceTalks [Image from Unsplash] Because of the pandemic, virtually overnight, all players involved in medical device clinical trials had to pivot to virtual monitoring to keep trials going. What impact did remote trial oversight have on the quality, safety, and costs of clinical trials? What are the implications for the future? A panel of experts from across the clinical trial ecosystem discussed these topics on a recent episode of DeviceTalks Tuesdays, sponsored by IMARC. Panelists included Hamish Baird, clinical research president at Remington-Davis; Brandy Chittester, president of IMARC Research; Xavier Lefebvre, global VP of medical and regulatory operations at Medtronic; and Dr. Eric Kolodziej, corporate VP and global head of quality and regulatory affairs at Hologic. Go to our sister site Medical Design & Outsourcin…
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How COVID-19 changed medical device clinical trials forever

The success of remote clinical trial oversight opens the door to hybrid approaches and creates new possibilities for the future of trials.

[Image from Unsplash]

DeviceTalks

Because of the pandemic, virtually overnight, all players involved in medical device clinical trials had to pivot to virtual monitoring to keep trials going. What impact did remote trial oversight have on the quality, safety, and costs of clinical trials? What are the implications for the future?

A panel of experts from across the clinical trial ecosystem discussed these topics on a recent episode of DeviceTalks Tuesdays, sponsored by IMARC.

Panelists included Hamish Baird, clinical research president at Remington-Davis; Brandy Chittester, president of IMARC Research; Xavier Lefebvre, global VP of medical and regulatory operations at Medtronic; and Dr. Eric Kolodziej, corporate VP and global head of quality and regulator…

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How to better clean fiber optics in medical devices

When it comes to fiber optics in medical devices, cleaning is essential for reliability.

Jay Tourigny, MicroCare

Cleaning sticks or swabs are ideal for cleaning end face connectors. [Image courtesy of MicroCare]

The use of fiber optics in the medical industry is steadily increasing. As the population continues to grow and age, healthcare providers are using fiber optic devices for better patient diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Today fiber optics are used for minimal invasive surgery (MIS), in sensors inside single-use catheters and endoscopes and for real-time diagnostic imaging with MRI, CT, PET, or SPECT systems.

Like many medical devices, cleanliness is crucial to the performance of fiber optic instruments.  The device must perform without fault. One of the main causes of fiber optic instrument failure is the contamination of the fiber optic termini. Dirty fiber connections, also known as …

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