SCAPE microscope offers real-time monitoring of neurons, organs, and living cells.
When we discuss advances in the medical device industry, we often focus on the manufacturing methods of a new piece of technology. The conversation frequently shifts to the tooling and machining options needed to make something readily available to a wide range of customers and consumers.
Very seldom, though, do we focus on the importance of prototyping.
Prototyping in Medical Device Design
Prototyping is one of the most important steps in not only fabricating new medical devices, but also for improving upon old designs. It is critical for testing design concepts well before production and in the process avoiding problems down the line.
Prototyping helps maintain constant communication between designers and customers whether it concerns material selection or tooling. It is essential for identifying issues and resolving them before submitting any product drawings or CAD files to a production manufacturer.
For medical devices especially, 3D modeling applications and rapid prototype technologies can help anticipate problems, identify necessary part tolerances, and find alternative ways to design and manufacture a product.
The SCAPE 3D Microscope
A new high-speed 3D microscope illustrates the essential role of prototyping in the medical device industry. Dubbed SCAPE—an acronym for “Swept Con focally Aligned Planar Excitation microscopy”—the technology allows imaging of living things in 3D, at a resolution of ten to 100 times faster than existing microscopes.
Developed by Elizabeth Hillman, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University Medical Center, the microscope can image complex, living things, such as neurons firing in rodent brains, which was previously impossible.
The SCAPE microscope uses a beam of light swept over a sample multiple times per second, which eliminates the need to adjust either the position or the angle at which light hits the sample. Sweeping a single, wide-angle light sheet allows 3D images to be created quickly and relatively cheaply. It’s fast, easy to use, and according to Hillman, will be “transformative” for capturing high-speed cellular activity in 3D.
The SCAPE microscope is already being hailed for its promising potential in neuroscience and neurological procedures. As Thomas M. Jessell, co-director of the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University put it to the Daily Mail, the technology will offer the chance to unlock “secrets” of brain activity “in ways barely imaginable a few years ago.”
Prototyping and Medical Device Manufacturing
The SCAPE 3D microscope goes to show how thorough testing, modelling, and prototyping can lead to promising breakthroughs with far-reaching implications throughout the medical device industry. As this equipment begins to be widely used in neurology and other medical applications, odds are high that it will need to be produced in larger quantities.
That is exactly where a metal stamping manufacturer can make all the difference.
To learn much more about a medical device moving from prototyping to production, download“Criteria for Design and Manufacturing of Precision Metal Stamped Medical Device Components,” from Keats Manufacturing Company. The company has provided custom metal stampings throughout a wide range of industries. Learn exactly how a company like Keats can help you with your medical device stamping needs.
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