Medical Design Briefs - January 2025 - 17

There is a growing and urgent interest in improving the sustainability
of manufacturing operations by reducing its environmental
impact. Every technology that gets deployed in
manufacturing needs to be critically analyzed from the environmental
sustainability perspective. The recent advances in
artificial intelligence (AI) enable robots to program themselves
from task descriptions.
In this session, Satyandra Gupta, cofounder and chief scientist
at GrayMatter Robotics, discusses how these advances have
led to the realization of smart robotic cells for use in manufacturing
applications and increased human productivity to deal
with labor shortages. These cells also eliminate the need for
human operators to perform ergonomically challenging tasks
and empower them to perform a much higher value-added task
of optimizing the finishing process. Robotic automation solutions
are enabling manufacturers to increase productivity, improve
process consistency. As the role of robots is rapidly expanding
in the manufacturing sectors, people are beginning to
think about the environmental impact of robotic automation.
Impact of Novel Materials on Medical Device Design
and Vice Versa
Medical devices are composed of a variety of specialty materials,
with each selected based on a particular need or function.
In recent years, many new materials have been brought
to market by resin and specialty-material suppliers. In particular,
these materials include multi-functional composites, highperformance
resins and metals, electronic materials, bioresorbable
materials, and bioactive composites (including those
with pharmaceuticals). Shifts in medical-grade materials have
also incorporated improved durability and reusability, additive
manufacturing, reduced biocompatibility risk, lower cost manufacturing,
and greater sustainability.
In this session, Rob Klein, senior principal materials engineer
at AtriCure, will review the medical device classes with
Class II and III patient-contact (open surgical, minimally invasive
and endoscopic, robotic, and implants) and will discuss
how new materials are impacting medical device design.
He will also look at how new device types are driving adoption
of new materials. Klein will incorporate several case
studies into the session.
The Smart Manufacturing Imperative: Trends,
Technologies, and Triumphs
In today's rapidly evolving industrial landscape, smart
manufacturing isn't just an option - it's an imperative. This
high-impact panel brings together manufacturing industry
advisors at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and innovative end
customers to dissect the transformative journey of Industry
4.0, with a focus on manufacturing process.
Topics include emerging trends reshaping the manufacturing
sector, including generative AI (GenAI), Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT), etc.; innovative technologies driving
unprecedented efficiency and quality, such as high-performance
computing, digital twins, etc.; and real-world success
stories from industry leaders who have mastered the
smart manufacturing journey.
The panel will explore how top-tier companies are leveraging
smart manufacturing to dramatically boost operational
efficiency, enhance product quality and consistency,
accelerate time-to-market for new innovations, and drive
sustainable practices and reduce waste.
Whether you're an executive charting your company's smart
manufacturing strategy, or a process engineer aiming to optimize
operations, this panel offers invaluable insights to propel
your organization to the forefront of smart manufacturing.
Medical Design Briefs, January 2025
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Medical Design Briefs - January 2025

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