Medical devices

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed a new silicone rubber face mask that they believe could stop viral particles as effectively as N95 masks. Unlike N95 masks, the new masks can be easily sterilized and used many times.

Engineers design a reusable, silicone rubber face mask

The prototype mask, which includes an N95 filter, can be easily sterilized and worn many times.

July 9, 2020

“This is like a painless Band-Aid for internal organs,” says Xuanhe Zhao, professor in the departments of mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at MIT. “You put the adhesive on, and if for any reason you want to take it off, you can do so on demand, without pain.”

Super-strong surgical tape detaches on demand

Removable adhesive could make it easier for surgeons to close up internal wounds.

June 22, 2020

Erwin Franz, a first-year student in the System Design and Management program at MIT

Rapidly engineering ventilators for the Covid-19 pandemic

Erwin Franz's experiences with MIT System Design and Management had a major effect on his work with the rapid response team at Philips Respironics.

June 1, 2020

Clockwise from left: Gammacell irradiator in which N95 mask was tested; sodium chloride aerosol apparatus, built by Enze Tian for testing N95 mask filtration efficiency; section of an irradiated N95 mask being loaded into the testing apparatus.

Gamma radiation found ineffective in sterilizing N95 masks

Nuclear scientists and biomedical researchers team up to investigate whether treatment with gamma radiation could make N95 masks more reusable.

April 10, 2020

McGovern research scientist Jill Crittenden helped the N95DECON consortium assess face mask decontamination protocols so health-care workers can easily access them for Covid-19 protection.

MIT scientist helps build Covid-19 resource to address shortage of face masks

Jill Crittenden and colleagues in a new consortium provides guidance for health care workers on decontamination and reuse of N95 face masks.

April 3, 2020

Donations from across campus are collected and sorted in MIT's Mail Services before distribution to area hospitals.

Scene at MIT: Donations of personal protective equipment ready for local hospitals

Labs across campus respond to a call; MIT sends thousands of items directly to area hospitals in need.

March 27, 2020

MIT faculty members have released a memo detailing the risks associated with using 3D printing to build PPE and Covid-19-related medical devices.

3 Questions: The risks of using 3D printing to make personal protective equipment

Professor Martin Culpepper provides caution on the use of 3D printing to make masks and other PPE for individuals on the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis.

March 26, 2020

An award-winning startup founded by Maria Hahn (second from right) got its start at an MIT Technology and Innovation Bootcamp.

Health care innovators strive to make a difference

A week of learning with MIT Bootcamps sparked ideas that Jal Panchal and Maria Hahn are taking forward to solve problems in health care.

January 23, 2020

A new ultrasound technique uses lasers to produce images beneath the skin, without making contact with the skin as conventional ultrasound probes do. The new laser ultrasound technique was used to produce an image (left) of a human forearm (above), which was also imaged using conventional ultrasound (right).

Researchers produce first laser ultrasound images of humans

Technique may help remotely image and assess health of infants, burn victims, and accident survivors in hard-to-reach places.

December 19, 2019

Depiction of a soft robotic device known as a dynamic soft reservoir (DSR)

Soft robotics breakthrough manages immune response for implanted devices

Discovery could enable longer-lasting and better-functioning devices — including pacemakers, breast implants, biosensors, and drug delivery devices.

September 4, 2019

In the Therapeutic Technology Design and Development lab, Assistant Professor Ellen Roche uses her background in both mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering to develop novel medical devices.

Blending medicine and mechanical engineering

Assistant Professor Ellen Roche develops revolutionary medical devices through research at the crossroads of medical science and engineering.

December 4, 2018

Therepi’s reservoir, which would attach directly to the damaged heart tissue, is placed on a dime for size reference and connected to a self-sealing subcutaneous port.

A new way to mend a broken heart

“Therepi” device attaches directly to damaged heart, enabling delivery of medicine from a port under a patient’s skin to augment cardiac function.

June 12, 2018

Aceil Halaby of Bloomer Tech presents their technology at the IDEA² Global workshop.

MIT linQ welcomes IDEA² Global teams for 2018

Seven-month program includes 14 international groups, who are convening at the Institute to develop new biomedical technologies.

June 4, 2018

MIT spinout Sigilon Therapeutics has partnered with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company to develop implantable medical devices that act like “living drug factories,” encapsulating engineered cells that live in the body for months, or years, and produce insulin. Down the road, cells may also be engineered to secrete other hormones, proteins, and antibodies.

“Living drug factories” may one day replace injections

Startup develops implantable, encased cells that live in the body and secrete insulin and other therapeutics.

May 16, 2018

Jose Gomez-Marquez, co-director of MIT’s Little Devices Lab, holds a sheet of paper diagnostic blocks, which can be easily printed and then combined in various ways to create customized diagnostic devices.

Plug-and-play diagnostic devices

Modular blocks could enable labs around the world to cheaply and easily build their own diagnostics.