For most of us, it's impossible to fully comprehend the consequences of a disease such as Parkinson's or Essential Tremor. Many sufferers shake constantly; they can't eat, drink, or lead normal lives without the help of caretakers. Thanks to Lynn Otten, however, Parkinson's sufferers now have a potent weapon in the fight against the disease. An engineer in Medtronic Inc.'s Neurological Division, Otten worked with three others from the company to develop the Activa Tremor Control system. It is the first FDA-approved electrical stimulation device for long-term implant in the brain. Starting on it as a spare-time project, Otten spearheaded the five-year development effort, which culminated when dramatic test results began pouring in from clinical trails. A biomedical engineer who holds numerous patents, Otten took the device through development, testing, validation, and, ultimately, to manufacturing. The device, which almost completely stops the tremors, is now available to thousands of Parkinson's sufferers who could not otherwise lead normal lives.
MEMS in sports is such a hot topic that MEMS Industry Group – a partner of Sensors in Design (part of Design West Summit) – will showcase it at next month’s conference.
Safety networks have become more complex, and have actually become simpler and easier to deploy for plant operators. This slideshow highlights developments in plant safety with an emphasis on integrated safety networks.
As the MEMS industry spans a myriad of industries and markets, the future of MEMS in consumer electronics will enable a myriad of functionality, applications, and personalization.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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