Rethinking Medical Device Design in a Post-COVID-19 World

摘要

The introduction of new healthcare technologies has been hampered due to restrictions on trials of medical devices, elective procedures, and access to medical facilities as part of COVID-19 safety protocols. The industry is poised to accelerate the changeover to newer technologies once the dust settles and trials can resume. One example is that device companies are moving toward reversible and irreversible electroporation where an electrical field is applied to increase the permeability of cell membranes in order to surgically target a tumor or improve drug delivery into the cell. This technique can overcome some of the inherent drawbacks in classical RF ablation, but also creates challenges in the power delivery system, since higher intensity, shorter pulses of energy are needed. Technology development companies, such as Emphysys, are helping to meet this challenge. Our scientists and engineers have expertise in multimodal, high-frequency energy generation and software control systems, along with sophisticated simulation abilities to fully understand the system under design. When combined with numerical simulations, this creates a powerful group able to rapidly prototype any energy-based medical device on a much shorter time scale than traditionally expected.