Materials Database Highlighted Workshop

ASM Medical Materials Database will further help attendees understand the importance of materials selection during the “State of the Art in Biodegradable Metals - A Think-Tank Workshop” being held at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's White Oak Campus, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue., Silver Spring, MD, on March 30, 2012.

This database contains a comprehensive and authoritative set of mechanical, physical, biological response, and drug compatibility properties for the materials and coatings used in cardiovascular and orthopaedic medical devices -- data related to products already approved by the FDA. The need for consistent relevant and reliable information is requisite for emerging materials, particularly biodegradable metals, which will be critical in medical device development and applications in the near future. 

Gary Mushock, product manager for the ASM Medical Materials product portfolio and ERC board member states, “We are excited to partner and participate in this workshop. It not only provides awareness of the value of our database, but serves to promote the importance of materials science and materials selection in medical product development. Additionally, ASM needs to be engaged in the area of emerging materials to continue to serve the industry with reliable information for the advancement of technologies.”

Organizers include Leon Esterowitz, National Science Foundation (NSF); Frank Witte, MD, MHH Hannover, Germany; Jag Sankar, NCA&T SU, NC; Steven Pollack and 

William Herman, FDA along with support from the Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials (ERC). They will bring their knowledge pool of biodegradable metals, especially Mg-based systems, together through a series of presentations. A panel discussion on current views within this emerging technology will follow. 

Building on ASM’s reputation as the world’s most authoritative source for materials knowledge, the ASM International medical materials product line was developed to be the definitive source of information, education, and collaboration on materials for medical devices. Our products include the ASM Medical Materials Database, the only comprehensive, peer-reviewed database providing a single source for materials data to support medical device design. The ASM Medical Materials Database is fully relational, modular, and features materials properties and biological response data on over 13,000 FDA-approved medical devices for designers and manufacturers. In addition, ASM offers educational seminars, customized training, and a new online course on materials for medical devices. Reference materials, handbooks, biweekly e-newsletters, and international conferences and expositions support our leadership in the medical device materials community.

For more information, visit us online at www.asmmedicalmaterials.org.