Medical device innovation is increasingly driven by advances in materials science. This 60-minute webinar from the editors of Medical Design Briefs will examine the latest breakthroughs shaping the future of device design — from shape-memory alloys like nitinol that enable minimally invasive procedures to high-performance polymers such as polyimide that offer exceptional strength, flexibility, and heat resistance. The program will explore self-healing polymers that extend product life, biodegradable composites that safely dissolve after use, and conductive biocompatible materials that integrate sensing capabilities. Attendees focused on R&D, engineering, and compliance will gain a deeper understanding of how next-generation materials can make devices lighter, stronger, and smarter.
Speakers:
Brian Berg, R&D Distinguished Research Corporate Fellow, Boston Scientific
Brian Berg currently serves as a Corporate Research Fellow with Boston Scientific, consulting throughout the company on nitinol medical implants as well as leading research into nitinol mechanics and fatigue. He has more than 30 years of industry experienced and joined the R&D stent group at Boston Scientific in 1997 to do fatigue testing on nitinol stent. He helped develop many ASTM standards associated with nitinol medical devices and regularly teaches a course on the subject at ASM Conferences. Brian holds a Ph.D. in theoretical mechanics, with a focus on developing bench and analytical methods to assess bending and tensile behavior of nitinol.
Justin Weltmer, Senior Process Engineer, Promex Industries
Justin Weltmer is a Senior Process Engineer at Promex Industries. In his work, he takes early prototype designs of implantable, surgical, and diagnostic medical devices and electronics in high-reliability or exotic fields — from telecom to photonics and quantum computing — and prepares them for production: building prototypes, refining for design for manufacturing, designing production flows, setting up production lines, training operators, and transferring projects to production teams with PFMEA and control plan documents for medical device validation.
Moderator:
Amanda Hosey, Editor, SAE Media Group
