MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers say they have a way of splitting ventilators which could address many of the safety concerns — potentially boosting the supply of ventilators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They have demonstrated their concept’s effectiveness in the lab — but they still caution it should be used only as a last resort … [Read more...] about MIT researchers may have invented a safer way of splitting ventilators
Research & Development
How to weave human tissue into new blood vessels
Researchers at the University of Bordeaux in France have engineered human tissue to be woven into blood vessels and treat diseased or damaged blood vessels. Synthetic blood vessel grafts are typically made of woven synthetic polymer yarn and used to replace diseased arteries. However, the body's immune system sometimes recognizes the material as … [Read more...] about How to weave human tissue into new blood vessels
Could these DIY ventilators stop coronavirus from killing people?
Amid the global crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals and healthcare facilities are reporting shortages of vital equipment that not only keeps the patients safe, but the staffers, too. One important device for which demand has ramped up is ventilators for patients who need assistance with their breathing due to the respiratory … [Read more...] about Could these DIY ventilators stop coronavirus from killing people?
How glass tubing supports Mayo Clinic innovation
At the Mayo Clinic Glass Shop, scientific glassblowing creates glass tubing and apparatuses for cardiac, transplantation and tissue perfusion research — and more recently, to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve Anderson is one of only two scientific glassblowers in Minnesota. As a senior scientific glassblower at Mayo Clinic, he has … [Read more...] about How glass tubing supports Mayo Clinic innovation
What is medical tubing used for?
Medical tubing allows clinicians to administer fluid and or even devices — as well as potentially allow for gas flow. And that's just the beginning. Common applications of medical tubing include ventilators and IVs, but tubing also finds uses supporting access devices and as a delivery method for other devices. For example, tubing can be used to … [Read more...] about What is medical tubing used for?
Is it possible to ‘knit’ replacement blood vessels?
A new way to replace a patient's damaged blood vessels may be on its way, as researchers in France are figuring out a way to "knit" new vessels with a collagen-based extracellular matrix. Inserm researcher Nicolas L'Heureux and his colleagues at Inserm/Université de Bordeaux's tissue bioengineering unit published a study in Acta Biomaterialia to … [Read more...] about Is it possible to ‘knit’ replacement blood vessels?
Protolabs’ healthcare grant spurs 2 feeding tube inventions
Digital manufacturer Protolabs (NYSE:PRLB) announced today that MedStar Health (Columbia, Md.) and Cleveland Clinic Innovations are joint winners of the company’s Cool Idea Award: Healthcare Grant. These grants provide in-kind manufacturing services to the support development of medical products to spur innovation in the field. MedStar Health’s … [Read more...] about Protolabs’ healthcare grant spurs 2 feeding tube inventions
Micro expands in New Jersey
Micro announced this month that it has opened a new 15,000-square-foot R&D center in a recently purchased building next to its present facilities in Somerset, N.J. The acquired 50,000-square-foot building will also serve as Micro's headquarters offices, allowing the company to optimize manufacturing in the two other locations next … [Read more...] about Micro expands in New Jersey
These tiny ‘mirrors’ could make tracking catheters easier
Clinicians around the world perform millions of endovascular procedures per year, using catheters and guided by X-rays to place stents or remove blood clots. That's a lot of radiation for patients and physicians to endure, and the X-rays don't even provide the most precise images, according to Torben Pätz, a mathematician at the Fraunhofer … [Read more...] about These tiny ‘mirrors’ could make tracking catheters easier
8 medical device industry supplier innovations you need to know
Medical device innovation doesn’t just come from startups or big corporate R&D departments. Contract manufacturers and suppliers are increasingly playing a role, too. Long gone are the days when medical device industry suppliers simply produced or manufactured according to specifications. Companies are increasingly coming up with their own … [Read more...] about 8 medical device industry supplier innovations you need to know
