With purchases by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Eli Lilly and Company, and half-dozen more companies and organizations, the first peer-reviewed materials database to support medical device design has been purchased "by more than 30 customers from every sector of the medical device community, from research to design and manufacturing," said Pam Brown, product development manager for ASM International's Materials and Processes for Medical Devices (MPMD) initiative.
The Materials for Medical Devices Database developed by ASM provides convenient desktop access to critical materials information, including mechanical, physical, biological response and drug compatibility properties for the materials and coatings used in medical devices. The database draws references from 3,000 sources including journal articles, conference proceedings, manufacturer data, USFDA CDRH 510K submissions, PMAs, SSEDs and FDA standards and guidance documents.
Having access to information in a single comprehensive database "helps to accelerate device innovation by eliminating unnecessary exploratory screening and testing," said Raymond Sirochman, managing liaison for MPMD.
For more information about the database, visit www.asminternational.org/mpmd or contact Sirochman at [email protected], tel.: 440-338-5418.
ASM International, the materials information society, launched Materials & Processes for Medical Devices in 2003 to fill the knowledge gap between the innovators who design medical devices and the engineers who understand materials and their capabilities. A brief summary of the eight companies and organizations that have most recently purchased the Materials for Medical Devices Database follows:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. http://www.fda.gov
- Eli Lilly and Company was founded by Eli Lilly in 1876, and is the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Lilly's global employees number approximately 40,000, and their medicines are marketed in 143 countries. Lilly has major research and development facilities in eight countries and conducts clinical trials in more than 50 countries. http://www.lilly.com
- NAMSA (North American Science Associates) has been for 40 years the world's leading company specializing in the safety evaluation of medical devices, materials and pharmaceutical containers. http://namsa.com
- NuOrtho Surgical, Inc. is a highly innovative early stage medical device company developing revolutionary technology for the healthcare industry. The company's focus is to preserve the normal, healthy tissue of patients that can be damaged as a by-product of current treatments. http://www.nuorthosurgical.com
- The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology enables the indigenous growth of Indian biomedical technology, demonstrating high standards of patient care in medical specialties and evolving postgraduate training programs in advanced medical specialties, biomedical engineering and technology, as well as in public health. http://www.sctimst.ac.in
- Synthes is a leading global medical device company that develops instruments, implants and biomaterials for the surgical fixation, correction and regeneration of the skeleton and its soft tissues. http://us.synthes.com
- Syntheon LLC (formerly known as KMS Medical LLC) develops and manufactures innovative medical devices. The four principals of Syntheon have over 170 issued patents; 95 years of product development experience and a long list of products that have improved medical care. www.syntheon.com
- The University of Southern Maine is the largest of the seven campuses of the University of Maine System, as well as one of the oldest, with its founding in Gorham in 1878. USM is a major educational force in the overall growth and improvement of the economic, civic, social, and cultural fabric of southern Maine. http://usm.maine.edu