Expert Contributors Sought to Expand Database on Materials for Medical Devices

Developed by ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio and Granta Design, Cambridge, UK, the database is currently comprised of an Orthopaedic Module and a Cardiovascular Module. New modules on pulmonary and neurological device development will be launched soon, and another module on dental implants is also part of the development plan.

So far more than 8,300 devices are cited in the cardiovascular and orthopaedic modules, with quarterly releases continually expanding and upgrading the available content. “Because the database offers highly pedigreed information, users can count on what they find there – it’s peer-reviewed and they can have a high degree of certainty of it being reliable,” said Michael Helmus, Ph.D., chair of the ASM Materials for Medical Devices Database Committee.

Helmus described how a Nitinol expert might participate as a contributor to the database. “Bio-response data for that material would be sent to our MPMD Product Developer at Materials Park,” he said. “The information provided would be edited and peer reviewed prior to its release by our editors, and the contributor’s name would be added to an Author’s Table in the database.”

In appreciation for the contributed information, ASM will provide an online page containing the contributor’s professional information, with links to the articles in the database they have written as well as links to their web page or company website.

“This kind of visibility is a tremendous asset in becoming better known in the medical devices community,” Helmus said. “Being published in the database will be a worthy addition for established professionals and will also be valuable for younger professionals who are looking to build their list of authored papers.”

The first successful database on materials for medical devices will benefit substantially from the contributions of expert authors. “We are reaching out to people who have spent a lifetime studying or working exclusively in a particular area,” said Sarah Egan of Granta Design. “These individuals have a wealth of knowledge that the database – and the entire medical devices community – can benefit from.”

The individual receives recognition, but the database user benefits in other ways. “When detailed data is entered into the database, it can significantly improve the usability of the database for the end user and potentially significantly reduce the time they will need to dedicate to performing their own research,” Egan said.

For more information about contributing to the Materials for Medical Devices Database, contact Pam Brown, Product Developer, ASM Materials and Processes for Medical Devices, at 440/338-5151, ext. 5248, or pam.brown@asminternational.org.