It’s always interesting to witness the progression of companies between trade shows. Months or year(s) have gone by, and in between, exhibiting companies don’t idle — they find new ways to meet the ever-growing demands of the medical industry.

One of those demands is customization of orthopedic implants. At this year’s Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East show, I spoke with Micron Products about their work with ConforMIS to develop a patient-specific knee replacement system, which allows a customized implant to be modeled and produced from a patient’s scans in a matter of days.

When it comes to medical components, everyone is still looking to go smaller and faster, without compromising on performance. A Mini Hybrid Connector from Colder Products Company is an example of a new product that fits this trend by combining air lines and electronics into a compact single connection point.

Bayer MaterialScience aims to meet another demand — for smaller, less intrusive medical devices — by launching a new grade of medical polycarbonate designed for molding devices with extremely thin walls (as low as 0.014 inches) and long flow lengths (150 millimeters).

Still, even if you’re in sync with the needs of the medical device industry, somtimes you just don’t have the funds to get your idea off the ground. Proto Labs is hoping to prevent that from happening with the Cool Idea! Award. Simply enter online by sharing a few details and uploading a 3D CAD model of your idea. Then, if you’re selected, you can use Proto Labs’ parts for prototyping, testing, or even an initial production run. The company plans to select “cool ideas” on an ongoing basis through 2011, until it has awarded $100,000 in services.

Wanted: Coating Solutions for UV Applications

A cost-efficient anti-graffiti coating solution is needed for application to flexible PVC film. The coating should add a flexible transparent layer with specific properties: scratch & UV resistant, stable physical behavior between -30 degrees and 90 degrees Celsius, and resistant to solvents and alcohols used for graffiti cleaning.
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A fluorescent coating is needed to alter emitted wavelength from UV LEDs. The goal of this project is to create a white light source with a uniform spectral output. Due to size and power constraints, LEDs are the preferred light source.
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The Technology Needs of the Week are anonymous requests for technology, distributed through the yet2.com marketplace, that you and your organization may be able to fulfill. Responding to a Tech Need is the first step to gaining an introduction with a prospective “buyer” for your technology solution.

An advanced materials company is seeking new coating technologies that display excellent weathering and durability performance. The coatings will be applied in wet format to glass substrates and need to be optically transparent, have a hardness of at least 2H, and have excellent outdoor durability.
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A coating is needed for application on top of an optical layer, which consists of a scratch-sensitive material. The coating should provide protection against mechanical damage and will be applied either by spray coating, doctor blade coating, or dip coating.
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The Technology Needs of the Week are anonymous requests for technology, distributed through the yet2.com marketplace, that you and your organization may be able to fulfill. Responding to a Tech Need is the first step to gaining an introduction with a prospective “buyer” for your technology solution.

Materials engineers at Purdue University have created a new type of coating that attracts water yet beads oils, promising potential applications such as “self-cleaning” eyeglasses and antifogging car windshields and ski goggles.

The coating consists of a single-molecule-thick layer of a material called polyethylene glycol, where each molecule is tipped with a Teflon-like “functional group” made with fluorine. Water molecules pass through theTeflon-like layer, which acts as a barrier to the larger oil molecules. The water is then attracted to the polyethylene glycol immediately adjacent to the glass surface.

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A coating that is hard and has a high modulus of elasticity is needed for application to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) optical films. Excellent coating adhesion and optical transparency are mandatory. The coating must withstand a force greater than 13,000 MpA, and offer a pencil hardness of B or over.To respond to this Tech Need click here.

Wet coating technologies are needed that show excellent weathering and durability performance. The coatings need to be applied successfully to mainly glass substrates and need to be suitable for application in a solution. They also need to be able to be used as a binder or cross-linking component of coatings comprising fillers such as colloidal nano-particles. To respond to this Tech Need click here.

The Technology Needs of the Week are anonymous requests for technology, distributed through the yet2.com marketplace, that you and your organizationmay be able to fulfill. Responding to a Tech Need is the first step to gaining an introduction with a prospective “buyer” for your technology solution.