micro parts to market... faster

MICRO MOLDED VALVE TECHNOLOGY

10/29/12    It is amazing the technology we have nowadays in the medical field. MES has been involved with engineering and machining a part that is used in cartilage repair. These silicone molded valves are smaller than a piece of dust! We are able to put 84 million parts on 1 microscope slide! To the naked eye it looks like a cloudy slide, but put it under a microscope and you will see the micro detail. Learn more about this in our video Micro Molded Valve Technology.

NEUROSCIENCE DEVICES ENABLING ALL OF THE SENSES!

10/23/12:   Who would think that micro devices being developed today would enable:
• A visually impaired person to see
• A paralyzed person to feed herself
• A deaf toddler to hear his mother’s voice for the first time

These devices are here and now and are all possible due to the neurological implants and micro manufacturing combined.

As you can imagine, micro devices that are implanted into the eye, ear, or brain requires extreme accuracy and repeatability and strict validation protocols. These devices are tiny, micro manipulated and controlled by external means through the electrodes implanted less than 1 millimeter into the cortex of the brain.

These devices are enabling the treatment of paralysis, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, blindness, deafness, and memory loss. In every one of these cases, micro devices are required in polymer, metal, silicone, and a combination of those dust specked sized components with extremely challenging stack up tolerances to properly fit and function in varying temperature, moisture, chemical, and extremely clean environments.

The young generation may get flack for overuse of technology such as smartphones, however these same MEMS and Micro manufacturing technologies used to develop smartphones are also helping to pave the way for neuroscience discoveries and devices of the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 

  Photo Credit Jorge Cham-Caltech

PARTNERSHIP IN DRUG DELIVERY CONFERENCE – HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOSTON, 2012

10/9/12     What a phenomenal conference with several interesting topics of interest in drug delivery.   Dr. Bob Langer of M.I.T. led off the event and from my perspective his overview of the industry was loaded with micro components and assemblies, hitting delivery mechanisms such as:

  • Transdermal Delivery- Needles, Drug Arrays
  • Ocular Delivery- Nano particles through membrane
  • Vaginal Delivery- Nuva ring, EVA & Silicone, large molecule diffusion
  • Implantable- microspheres, stents, biopolymers decreasing delivery rates over time, degradable chips triggered remotely
  • Inhalation-3rd World country uses, inhaler in your pocket, Gates Foundation funding

Lisa Shafer of Medtronic was prominently introduced as the “pride of Medtronic” as well she should be.  Lisa was the first in Medtronic to patent an Antibody that will hopefully be used someday to cure (not treat) Alzheimer’s.  Lisa spoke on a panel about the need for pacing heart and pacing brain and performing neuromodulation using electrical and drug methods.

Another panelist spoke of Digital Medicine using “smart” pills targeting treatments through swallowing, providing real time data and after taking medicine, the physicians can get data how often the patient is taking the medicine and what effects they are/are not having on the body.

Keynote Speaker on Day 2 was Dr. Stephen Oesterle of Medtronic.  I was proud to see multiple devices/technologies that MES has or is working on in his presentation slides.  Again, the theme is Drug Delivery-Site Specific Devices and Combination Devices- both require micro components and assemblies.

 

Some examples of Dr. Oesterle’s presentation taken from start-up companies or others he appropriately mentioned owned the IP were:

  1. a.      100 psi balloons driving drugs into artery to get right at a tumor to shrink it.
  2. b.     Navigation devices
  3. c.      Wearable glucose sensor
  4. d.     Catheter and infusion pumps
  5. e.      Refillable intraocular pump holds 9 months of drug
  6. f.       Delivering drug to the brain via catheter (blood brain barrier issue)
  7. g.      Delivering drug through the sclera of the eye to the back of the eye for glaucoma
  8. h.     Cellular homing
  9. i.       Less drug and more effective site focus= no real reason to be in the body with a knife
  10. j.       Hot topic for the next 20 years as having a Neurological focus.

A truly phenomenal conference with several interesting topics of interest in drug delivery!  I am looking forward to next years’ event being held again in Boston.