TUBING, CATHETERS & STENTS
The eight-point path to design enlightenment CARL GOUNDRY, PRODUCT MANAGER, TEKNI-PLEX, DISCUSSES EIGHT KEY FACTORS MEDICAL DEVICE INNOVATORS SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN ENGINEERING TUBING SOLUTIONS FOR EMERGING APPLICATIONS.
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edical device companies are innovating at an exponential rate, but they must consider the following eight factors to ensure a successful product development design process. INTRICACY OF DESIGN Improvements in patient safety and procedural efficiencies are driving innovative design technologies that require more complex components to ensure product performance. Demands on product specifications are tighter and quality standards more stringent. There is increased pressure to ensure fit, form, and function are right first time. Device design engineers are constantly seeking to partner with organizations that can push boundaries and work collaboratively towards meeting new product innovation requirements. Aligning with a well-experienced team — skilled on all aspects of the design journey, from conception to commercialization — is vital to ensure the correct decisions are made at every stage of the development process. Early engagement on design, material selection,
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conversion, and assembly with the right partner is invaluable towards the success of new product development and launch. INCREASING PRECISION Demands are increasing for even higher levels of surgical procedural precision, putting advances in material and tubing technology at the forefront for device innovation. Comfort, speed and minimally invasive procedures are all attributes that positively affect health and wellbeing. Working with a solution provider that can engineer tubing with these desirable attributes is critical to procedure success. For example, surgeons are relying on robots to perform surgical procedures that would previously have been impossible; pills with cameras are replacing endoscopes; tiny catheters can be used to access every vessel in the body. These technologies have been designed to minimize trauma and improve patient recovery rates. This need for miniaturization is driving more demanding and tighter tolerances. The end result is more pressure on medical device engineers and further pushing of the boundaries of material science. AFFORDABILITY FOCUS People worldwide are living longer, primarily because of access to better healthcare and the advances in medicine during the past 20 years. People are, therefore, more likely to go through an increasing number of medical procedures during their lifetime. This added cost pressure on the healthcare system requires control of cost to allow device manufacturers to keep pace with ever-growing demand volumes which allows equal access for all. Efficiency of design and material selection are critical elements in this regard and as such must be afforded a great deal of consideration to ensure a device remains viable during its expected lifetime.
