Medical Device Innovators to Discuss Next Generation of Implants at Cleveland Conference

MATERIALS PARK, Ohio, April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- "Opportunities for Next-Generation Implants," the 2008 Materials and Processes for Medical Devices Conference, will bring together the diverse innovators who envision, create and apply devices for cardiovascular, orthopaedic, neurological and pulmonary applications.

Hosted by Cleveland Clinic and ASM International, the world's leading materials society, this unique forum will bring together surgeons, clinicians, biomedical engineers, device designers, and materials scientists and engineers. The event will be held August 5-7 at the InterContinental Hotel in Cleveland.

"Based on today's successes and failures, we can anticipate the challenges that will shape the next generation of implants," said conference co-chair Shuvo Roy, Ph.D. of Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.

Surgeons and clinicians will provide their perspectives and specific clinical examples. "Medical professionals understand how patient care can be significantly improved through less invasive surgical procedures and superior device quality and performance," Roy said.

To provide a complementary point of view, "engineers know where medical devices are going," said conference co-chair Dana Medlin, Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. "We will describe the design and manufacturing challenges involved in the selection and applications of materials and coatings, including issues like manufacturability, reliability and affordability."

The last day of the conference features presentations by leading experts in failure analysis, who will describe case studies based on actual device successes and failures.

To provide focused training specific to materials for medical devices, ASM will offer a number of pre-conference courses on August 4, including Nitinol for Medical Devices; Stainless Steels, Cobalt-Chromium and Titanium Alloys for Medical Devices; BioMEMS for Medical Devices; and Medical Device Failure Analysis.

To register and for information about the MPMD technical program, participating faculty and courses, visit www.asminternational.org/meddevices or call 440-338-5151, ext. 0.

Companies interested in sponsorship of conference tracks and social breakouts may contact Kelly Thomas at 440-338-1733 or [email protected].

Cleveland Clinic, www.clevelandclinic.org , is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey.

ASM International, www.asminternational.org , is the central authority on the development, processing and application of materials.

SOURCE ASM International