At UPM’s Product Development Lab we apply Mechanical Engineering principles and systematic (bio-) engineering design methodologies for the development of innovative medical devices, always linked to relevant social needs and connected with medical professionals and the medical industry. The use of computer-aided design and engineering resources supports the design of biomedical devices and the in silico assessment of their potential performance. The employment of advanced micro- and nano-manufacturing tools allows the incorporation of tiny features for improving their biological response. The use of biofunctionalization procedures and post-processes is also becoming common-practice for an enhanced performance, which must be clearly assessed by systematic testing procedures before deciding to tackle mass-production and commercialization. In addition, the information obtained using medical imaging technologies can be almost directly converted in three-dimensional objects (replicating the geometries and structures of human body and biological systems) and subsequently used as input in CAD programs, for designing personalized medical devices adapted to the morphologies of such biostructures. Final manufacture of the personalized biodevices can be accomplished with help of several computer-aided manufacturing and solid free-form fabrication or additive manufacturing technologies, as examples from our team show.
Main lines of research, innovation and translation within the field of biomedical devices and medical technologies include:
- Design and development of biomedical devices and medical technologies.
- Biomaterials and biomechanics.
- Bioinspired mechanical systems and biomimetics.
- Simulation in Biomedical and Biomechanical Engineering.
- Biomedical microdevices for interacting with cells: Labs- & organs-on-chips.
- Tissue engineering and biofabrication.
- Cell-cell and cell-material interactions.
Díaz Lantada, A. & Lafont Morgado, P., Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering.