Medical Design Briefs - October 2024 - 38

n Ultrahigh Sensing Platform
New research unlocks
the power of
exceptional points
(EPs) for advanced
optical sensing. Unlike
traditional methods
that require
modifications to the
sensor itself, the system
features an EP control unit that can plug in to physically
separated external sensors. This configuration allows EPs to
be tuned solely through adjustments to the control unit, allowing
for ultrahigh sensitivity without the need for complex
modifications to the sensor.
By decoupling the sensing and control functions, it clears
the way for EP enhancement to be applied to a wide range of
conventional sensors - including ring resonators, thermal and
magnetic sensors, and sensors that pick up vibrations or detect
perturbations in biomarkers - vastly improving the detection
limit of sensors scientists are already using. With the control
unit set to an EP, the sensor can operate differently - not at an
EP - and still reap the benefits of EP enhancement.
The researchers are currently focused on medical applications,
especially working to enhance magnetic sensing, which
could be used to improve MRI technology. (Image credit:
Washington University)
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/1024/sensing-platform.
n Eco-Friendly 3D Printing
A method for 3D printing called
vapor-induced phase- separation
3D printing, or VIPS-3D, can create
single-material
as
well
as
multi-material
objects. The printing
process allows manufacturers
to create custom-made objects
economically and sustainably.
The process allows manufacturers
to 3D print multi-material
parts with spatially tunable,
multi-scale porosity, which means
creating structures that have different kinds of substances at
different locations and with varied levels of porousness.
The object's porousness refers to it having tiny holes or
gaps, and this is created by adjusting printing conditions
and/or how much sacrificial material is used during the
VIPS-3DP process. This can be useful for manufacturing
things like porous medical implants.
In addition to requiring less investments in infrastructure,
the VIPS-3DP process is a greener option to traditional
printing methods because it uses sustainable materials and
less energy.
The technology has been granted two patents, and its development
was supported through funding from federal
agencies, including the National Science Foundation and
the Department of Energy. (Image credit: GIST)
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/1024/3D-printing.
38
n Improved Microneedle Technology
An improved technique
uses a single microneedle
to get enough fluid for a
test in about 10 minutes.
The microneedles penetrate
the outer skin layer,
but they don't reach nerve
endings and are hollow.
Engineers made a couple
of changes to improve the extraction technique, including
modifying the shape of the needle holders, which are 3D
printed at Sandia's Advanced Materials Laboratory.
Improving the interstitial fluid extraction method helps potentially
expand the use of microneedles. One such application
involves using microneedles to distinguish between bacterial
and viral infections.
The researchers are also working on a project to get a better
understanding of what biomarkers are in interstitial fluid.
As part of a collaboration, the researchers are extracting interstitial
fluid on-site from volunteers using the improved
method developed with SRI. The team is analyzing the fluid
collected with the goal of developing continuous monitoring
devices for general public use. (Image credit: Craig Fritz)
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/1024/microneedle.
n Plug Prevents Total Knee Replacement
Synthetic cartilagecapped
regenerative
osteochondral plugs
(CC-ROPs) offer a potential
off-the-shelf
surgical device to treat
OCDs and avoid total
knee replacement.
The proposed CCROPs
are not restricted
by age or the size
of the defect while offering several other benefits. Firstly,
they were designed to have the geometry of cylindrical autografts
so they could be implanted with existing surgical
tools and protocols. Additionally, they do not require preloading
with cells or growth factors to induce healing, but
instead leverage the unique features of the cap and scaffold
base. Once implanted, the CC-ROP can provide immediate
support for joint function, including knee articulation.
The CC-ROP consists of two parts: a cartilage cap and an
osseous (or bone) base. The cartilage cap is an ultra-strong
hydrogel that uniquely mimics the mechanical properties of
biological cartilage. The base is made of a porous, bioresorbable
polymer.
After implantation, the base is replaced by new bone tissue
and continues to anchor the cartilage cap. Thus, the
cylindrical implant stimulates the formation of new bone
tissue and integration with host tissue while supplying synthetic
cartilage necessary for joint function. (Image credit:
Rachel Barton/Texas A&M Engineering)
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/1024/knee-plug.
www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
Medical Design Briefs, October 2024
http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/1024/microneedle http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/1024/sensing-platform http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/1024/3D-printing http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/1024/knee-plug https://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
Medical Design Briefs - October 2024

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