Cyberpage 7962

Take two sites and call me in the morning...

Head on over to the Food and Drug Administration's (http://www.fda.gov) site to stay on top of the latest developments in the industry. Two sections of the site - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/index.html and http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html - are of interest to engineers involved in developing medical devices. The first site-Center for Devices and Radiological Health-offers "Device Advice" for self-service information; a pre-market approval database; the Division of Small Manufacturers Assistance to help manufacturers comply with FDA regulations; sections for pre- and post-market issues; and special interest items.

At Medical Device Link.com (http:// www. devicelink.com/) you'll discover a comprehensive site with links to seven publications, a database of consultants, a link to all the latest industry tradeshows, plus a career center that allows you to post your resume or look through classifieds.

Surgical Products Online at http://www. surgprodmag.com features a comprehensive database of new products and supplier directory of nearly 500 companies. Also on the site are feature articles, profiles and solutions with a review of suppliers and their resources and abilities to contribute to success in the O.R., and online literature request.

If materials is your game, then head on over to the Society for Biomaterials. This professional society promotes advances in all phases of materials research and development. The site features journal information, links to the biomaterials community, and a good biomaterials bulletin board to network, compare, or just chat. Check out the site at http://www. biomaterials.org.

Biomechanics World Wide at http://www. per.ualberta.ca/biomechanics offers users information on biomechanics. The site lists other biomechanics and related sites, as well as files of relevant information. It is also points to the individual 'home pages' of biomechanists, links to career opportunities in the field, comparative biomechanical sites, ergonomics, motor control, and more.

The Biomedical Engineering Network lists conference information, jobs for engineers, academic programs, societies and associations, grants, and publications. Check them out at http:// www.bmenet.org/bmenet.

Biomateria.com at http://www.biomateria.com calls itself the virtual home of the European Biomaterials Network. Read articles from recent newsletters, conference presentations, international news, EU regulations, and project profiles.

A sister publication of Design News, MDT offers tons of new products in the medical field. Check it out at http:// www.mdtmg.com.

The second site of interest is MedWatch. This part of the site is designed to educate all health professionals about the critical importance of being aware of, monitoring for, and reporting adverse events and problems to the FDA and/or the manufacturer and ensures that safety information is passed on to the medical community. The site offers continuing education articles and several databases including Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Database (MAUDE) and the Medical Device Reporting Program (MDR) database which contains more than 600,000 reports from 1984-1996.