Medical Equipment Design

Anyone can make a mistake at work, but hopefully not of this magnitude. After a California hospital changed the default settings on a CT scanner, more than 200 patients administered CT brain perfusion scans were exposed to 8x the level of normal radiation. The FDA says this case may be indicative of more widespread issues with CT quality assurance. Or is this simply a case of human error? Can such error be designed out of medical equipment?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Medical Equipment Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Medical Equipment Design today.

Growing market potential for integration of electronic functionality into drug-delivery devices is indicated by medical device industry leaders worldwide. U.S. medical market mavens are confident that complex electronics technologies are maturing, which will ensure acceptance by pharmaceutical firms and regulators. Their European counterparts are concerned that stricter environmental regulations, which may affect microelectronics disposal, may impede device innovation. How do you see the future unfolding for electronic functionality in the medical arena?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Medical Equipment Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Medical Equipment Design today.

The high cost of waste disposal and burgeoning operating costs have prompted many healthcare facilities to reconsider medical device reuse. The literature seems unsettled on this issue: some studies confirm the patient safety and economic benefits of single-use device reprocessing while others cite anecdotal evidence of compromised device performance and increased patient risk. How can, or should, reprocessing be standardized to satisfy all economic, ethical, and performance requirements?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Medical Equipment Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Medical Equipment Design today.

The increased use of medical devices in all aspects of medicine can pose ethical challenges. Devices are engineered and implemented with good intentions, but suppose you are charged with developing equipment to be used in a procedure that went against your personal convictions?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Medical Equipment Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Medical Equipment Design today.

If opportunity existed to have your brain hard-wired to cyberspace, would you do it? A Zogby International poll found that 13% of 3,000 adults surveyed would want a direct brain connection to the Internet. How about a brain-implanted computer chip that would render you immune to disease, or provide you with a wealth of knowledge? Of 41,000 queried, only 23% and 25% responded in the affirmative, respectively. What would be the pros and cons of such wireless artificial intelligence?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Medical Equipment Design, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Medical Equipment Design today.