Originally Published MPMN January/February 2002

E-NEWS

My Favorite Bookmarks

Damon Black,
Product Development Engineer
Advanced Neuromodulation Systems

The Internet is a powerful tool for people developing medical products. In this new column, MPMN asks design engineers what sites they have bookmarked in their Web browsers that are helpful to them in this process. This month, Damon Black, a product development engineer with Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (Plano, TX; www.ans-medical.com), shares a few of his favorite sites.

"GE Polymerland (www. gepolymerland.com) is a site that can really help to streamline the materials selection process. With information on more than 30,000 resins, the page incorporates a wizard that asks project-specific questions to help narrow down the company's offerings to a short list of suitable plastics. For each listing, the company includes a material safety datasheet and discusses processing parameters and other issues, like biocompatibility and sterilization capability.

Medical Device Link (www.devicelink.com) is by far my most frequently visited Web site for medical device news and information. I usually browse it once or twice a week with my first cup of coffee to keep up on everything from corporate partnerings to product launches. The site also features a searchable database that lists suppliers for almost any part or service related to device development. Among other criteria, you can search the listings by company, product, and location.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov) site is an invaluable tool when developing new ideas. It allows users to browse patent grants and applications by a variety of factors, including inventor, issue date, and assignee—an extremely useful feature for keeping tabs on competitors. Not only are there listings for current patents, but the page also contains information on expired grants and pending applications. Best of all, the listings are available in full-image or full-text versions that are free to download or print.

The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (www.fda.gov/cdrh) Web site is a vital link in the process for getting FDA approval to market just about any medical device. It contains detailed information on a range of pre- and postmarket issues such as 510(k) regulations, device classification, and third-party review. I also use the page to look up negative-use incidences for existing devices that are similar to the ones I am working to develop. Most records are available as both text and pdf files."

Advanced Neuromodulation Systems designs, develops, and manufactures implantable systems used to manage chronic intractable pain and other central nervous system disorders. The company offers a variety of pulse-generator and radio-frequency neurostimulators, including the Renew RF unit.

Zachary Turke

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