German engineers develop a non-metal hip implant for long-term use | MassDevice.com On Call

May 10, 2012 By MassDevice staff Leave a Comment

MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A German team developed a new hip replacement implant that may be the answer to the high-profile hip device debates following the recall of DePuy’s metal-on-metal implants.

The researchers announced new hip implants that "unlike the conventional counterpart implants on the market today, provide a metal-free solution and bone-like elasticity."

The devices are free from the concerns that brought down DePuy’s ASR hip implants – namely, that the metal components rubbed against one another, eroding and releasing tiny metal fragments into a patient’s bloodstream.

The new implants, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, are made from carbon fiber reinforced PEEK (a high-strength, wear-resistant, biocompatible polymer composite) and ceramic, according to a press release.

"The cobalt-chromium implants in use to date are very rigid, and the load transfer to the bone is non-optimal leading to potential adverse bone adaptation," Fraunhofer IPA engineer Jasmin Hipp said in prepared remarks. "Thanks to the new combination of materials, the transmission of force through the PEEK hip socket to the pelvic bone is modeled on natural conditions. And there are no metal ions released."

The device prototypes fared well in initial testing, done with robots that simulate a variety of movements such as walking and climbing stairs.

Some patients in end-of-life situations opt to shut off their implanted cardiac defibrillators in hopes of avoiding the shock that 8% of patients experience in the last minutes of life. Read more

An Institute of Medicine infographic details the severity and costs of obesity in America. Read more

The American College of Cardiology issues new guidelines on when to use cardiac catheterization to look for heart problems. Read more

The costs of screening children for sudden cardiac death may not be worth the potential benefits when compared with other life-saving measures, according to Tufts researchers. Read more

A bipartisan team of House Representatives introduces a bill to issue a permanent "doc fix" that would avoid the yearly clamor to sustain reimbursement rates Medicare pays to health providers. Read more

Researchers at the University of Cambridge use "virtual reality" to measure brain activity with unprecedented clarity. Read more

The American Medical Assn. joined in urging Medicare to speed Stage 2 meaningful use requirements for electronic health records. Read more

New 510(k) boosts iRhythm, Verily efforts for AFib screening
The latest 510(k) clearance for the Verily Study Watch will further the efforts of the Google sister company and iRhythm Technologies (NSDQ:IRTC) to improve atrial fibrillation treatment. Verily — a life science company under Alphabet (NSDQ:GOOGL) — recently received an FDA 510(k) clearance to include an irregular pulse monitor in its Study Watch wearable. “We’ve worked carefully to meet the FDA’s stringent… […]
Argon Medical debuts IVC filter retrieval kits
Argon Medical Devices (Frisco, Texas) said this week that it has launched single-loop and triple-loop retrieval kits for percutaneous removal of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters that are no longer medically required. The kits are indicated for use via a jugular approach and offer the following features: A coil-reinforced outer sheath with the strength needed… […]
NANS 2020: Neuromodulation news you need to know
Neuromodulation devices from companies including Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), Abbott (NYSE:ABT) and SPR Therapeutics are showing promise treating pain. That’s one of the initial takeaways from study results that medical device companies in the neuromodulation space are touting this weekend at NANS 2020 in Las Vegas. NANS is a joint conference of Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the North American Neuromodulation… […]
Injection Molding Principles
Optimizing custom part designs for injection molding requires a thorough understanding of the process and outcomes. In this e-book, you’ll learn about common molding resins, special molding terms you should know, and most importantly, how to optimize your part with undercuts, even walls, drafts, and more. Download this e-book from Xometry to learn more… The […]
GW Plastics expands Vermont manufacturing and tech center
GW Plastics announced that it has completed a $10 million expansion of its Royalton, Vt., manufacturing and technology center. The company said it has added a 30,000 ft2 to the building to accommodate the growth of its thermoplastic injection molding and medical device contract assembly business. The expansion includes a new 13,000 ft2, Class 8… […]
Certain GE Healthcare patient-monitoring devices vulnerable to cyberattack
The federal government and GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE) announced today that the certain of the company’s patient monitoring devices are vulnerable to cyberattack. If attacked, some versions of the Carescape and ApexPro telemetry servers, the Carescape Central Station version 1 and Central Information Center systems could stop monitoring patients, silence alarms or produce unnecessary alarms during… […]
Cardinal Health recalls 9 million surgical gowns, sends hospitals scrambling
Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) announced that it is voluntarily recalling 9.1 million surgical gowns produced by an unnamed contract manufacturer after discovering quality issues with the product. The Dublin, Ohio-based company said that some gowns were produced in unapproved locations that did not maintain proper environmental conditions as required by law. Some of the gowns were also… […]
KNF launches compact swing piston pump
KNF Neuberger is touting its NPK 06 swing piston micro gas pumps, designed to deliver high-flow and high-pressure performance in a compact size. The new pumps work well for medical diagnostics, therapy, monitoring, and general compression applications, according to the Trenton, N.J.-based company. NPK 06 measures 1.85” (47mm) wide and can produce free flow up… […]
Heraeus Medical Components and Myant partner on electrical sensing for textiles
Heraeus Medical Components (St. Paul, Minn.) and Toronto-based Myant have entered a partnership enabling Myant to use Heraeus’ Tectitoat for electrical sensing applications in textiles, the companies announced today. Tecticoat is a conductive polymer-based coating that can be applied to textiles to control electrical conductivity, electromagnetic shielding and electrostatic dissipation, making it suitable for integration… […]
Cook Medical’s peripheral artery set debuts in U.S.
Cook Medical recently announced the U.S. launch of its TriForce peripheral crossing set to support vascular obstruction procedures. The TriForce set is designed to be percutaneously introduced into blood vessels to support a wire guide while performing a peripheral intervention, according to the Bloomington, Ind.-based company. This device is also intended for injection of radiopaque… […]
Bayer and Exscientia partner to bring AI to drug discovery
Bayer (ETR:BAYN) announced that it is entering into a collaboration agreement with artificial intelligence drug discovery company Exscientia to identify and optimize novel lead structures for potential drug candidates in treating cardiovascular and oncological diseases. The agreement, announced earlier this month, is slated to see the companies work together on early research projects combining Exscientia’s proprietary… […]