Daily Buzz

Medical Devices: One Size Does Not Fit All

By: Norbert Sparrow

22 May, 2012

It is well known that paediatrics is a neglected sector in terms of medical technology R&D. US FDA has stated publicly that the development of paediatric devices lags years behind the development of their adult counterparts. Prohibitive development costs are a significant barrier, explains the agency. A collaboration between the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCH) in Ohio, USA, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beer-Sheva, Israel, hopes to cover that deficit by facilitating device designs that meet children’s unique physiological differences and medical needs.

 

"The project combines the medical expertise of physicians at Cincinnati Children's with the extensive technical and engineering capabilities of faculty at Ben-Gurion University," says Netta Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of BGN Technologies, the university's technology transfer company, in a press release.

 

Because children represent only 10% of the total medical market, there has been a scarcity of resources for the development of dedicated surgical and medical devices for the paediatric population. In fact, many medical devices that are used in paediatric practice are miniaturised adult products that frequently fall short of meeting the clinical needs of children.

 

To remedy this, CCH physicians will provide detailed insight on specific medical device challenges and development opportunities within this collaborative agreement. The information will be provided to BGU engineers and technology researchers who can match development opportunities with technical solutions.

 

This is a great initiative that, we hope, will inspire others. Read more about it in the press release.