Medical Device Manufacturing with Lasers

Introduction

Chair: Richard Carter, Heriot-Watt University

Medical device manufacturing is a market sector that embodies a fast rate of progress and a high degree of innovation. Many products and components for implantable products or delivery systems for surgery have been manufactured using laser material processing. Miniature components may be produced by laser cutting, be made more bio-compatible with laser surface treatments, assembled using laser welding and have traceability guaranteed with permanent laser marking. Also, in the realm of prototyping, additive manufacturing of metallic parts from powder using lasers enables a fast turnaround for testing and evaluating designs.

At Heriot-Watt University, the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) is a joint facility with the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Robert Gordon (Aberdeen) which opened in 2020. The centre is equipped with a range of equipment including laser welding and marking, 3D printing and laser marking as well as other complementary technologies. These state-of-the-art facilities are available to SMEs to facilitate innovative design and manufacturing enabled by cutting-edge technology. The industry-focused MDMC complements extensive academic-led research into medical devices at Heriot-Watt of value >£10M.

This workshop is presented in conjunction with Heriot-Watt University and is suitable for anyone with an interest in the research, design and manufacturing of medical devices who would like to learn more about the technology and applications in this field.

Programme

13:15 – 13:25    Richard Carter (Heriot-Watt)
Welcome & Introduction

Session 1 – Sponsored by Coherent

13:25 – 13:55    Marc Desmulliez (MDMC)
Introduction to the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre

13:55 – 14:15    Roland Mayerhofer (Coherent)
When precision matters most: laser fine welding and cutting in medical device manufacturing

14:15 – 14:35    Jonathan Magee (ACSYS Lasertechnik)
Surface structuring and black marking for medical devices

14:35 – 14:45    Break

Session 2 – Sponsored by Amplitude 

14:45 – 15:05    Rob Eason (Highfield Diagnostics)
Laser direct-write fabrication of paper-based microfluidic rapid diagnostic devices

15:05 – 15:25     Calum Ross (Heriot Watt)
Ultrafast laser assisted etching: enabling miniaturised fibre-optic medical instrumentation

15:25 – 15:45    Xavier Wolters  (Amplitude)
Advanced femtosecond lasers, for medical device manufacturing

15:45 – 15:55    Break

Session 3 – Sponsored by Photonic Solutions & Light Conversion

15:55 – 16:15    Bob Reuben (Intellipalp)
Manufacturing compliant tactile sensors for in vivo cancer assessment in soft tissue

16:15 – 16:45    Ger O’Connor (NCLA (Galway))
Towards Laser-enabled Manufacturing of a Cardiac Patch

16:45 – 17:05    Simas Butkus (Light Conversion)
Micromachining of medical device materials using bursts of femtosecond pulses