Materials


Shape-shifting futures


From self-healing polymers and shape-memory alloys to stimuli-responsive hydrogels, a new generation of materials is redefi ning what medical devices can achieve. Yet as Sarah Harris explores – with an outlook from Professor Ipsita Roy, deputy director of research and innovation at the University of Sheffi eld’s School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering – the promise of smart and functional materials will only be realised if the industry can reconcile their unique properties with the demands of sterilisation and mass production.


F 90


or decades, the performance of medical devices has been defined largely by their form and mechanical design. Now, a generation of ‘smart materials’ is redefining what these devices can do. But what are the fundamental characteristics that define these materials for biomedical application? Professor Ipsita Roy, deputy director of research and innovation at the University of Sheffield’s School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering explains; “Smart Materials are those that are responsive to external stimuli such as temperatures and fatigue resistance.” Smart and functional materials – engineered to sense, respond and adapt to their surroundings – are emerging as a transformative force in healthcare technology. Self-healing polymers that repair microscopic fractures


without intervention, nickel-titanium alloys that change shape on cue and hydrogels that release drugs in response to precise triggers are no longer the stuff of speculative research. They are advancing rapidly towards clinical application.


These innovations are not incremental. They promise to extend device lifetimes, reduce surgical interventions and deliver therapies with unprecedented precision. Yet, their path to the operating theatre is far from straightforward. Sterilisation compatibility and high-volume manufacturing remain formidable hurdles. The challenge is not simply to invent these materials, but to integrate them into industrial workflows without losing the properties that make them extraordinary.


www.medicaldevice-developments.com


Love Employee/Shutterstock.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130