Back to Top

Long PD Timelines Delaying Market Launch?

Long PD Timelines Delaying Market Launch? Tips to reduce PD timelines

Are your medical device PD time lines getting longer? If you have a high impact project or a critical launch window, this can seriously jeopardize revenues. Consider these top four tips to reduce PD timelines. It’s no secret that the sooner your medical device is launched, the sooner revenues begin rolling in. And some products have a specific launch window where introduction time is critical to realizing sales and gaining market share. But medical device product development takes time, especially for orthopedic and spine devices where design controls and FDA regulations are non-negotiable. So what can you do to launch sooner while maintaining quality on critical projects? Check out these four tips to reduce medical device product development timelines:

1) Reduce distractions and multi-tasking

If development team members work on multiple projects and sustaining engineering tasks, consider removing these other duties and allowing team members to work on only the high impact project. They will be more productive and efficient and tasks will be completed faster.

2) Identify and work on the critical design first

Continue reading
  450 Hits

PD Bottlenecks Impacting Your 2017 Launch Plans?

PD Bottlenecks Impacting Your 2017 Launch Plans? Tips for Successful Management of Outsourced Engineering

As product development ramps up in the medical device industry, many companies are considering ways to increase PD capacity in order to meet aggressive and exciting goals; utilizing outsourced product development can be a great solution, with a little smart management. Here are the top four tips we at Engineering & Quality Solutions, Inc. have found ensure success between you and your design firm. These tips hold true whether you’re outsourcing a full project from start to finish or getting outside help with certain portions of the project.

1) Select resources with experience and skill that match your project

For medical device companies, engaging a PD resource who knows the industry is critical. Medical device projects require different considerations such as raw material specs, cleaning & sterilization, testing, submission considerations, design history file creation and FDA regulations. Make sure your design partner understands these requirements in order to avoid delays and design revisions due to missed requirements.

2) Start with detailed project plans with inputs and outputs

Continue reading
  450 Hits

Using Outsourced Engineering: Do the Numbers Add Up?

If you’re thinking about adding design engineering resources for a development project, first check out this comparison of the impact of hiring an employee versus using outsourced development resources.  See our Case Study titled "Outsourced Product Development" at the following link. http://www.e-qsolutions.com/case-studies#outsourced-product-development-click-to-open-close.  If you're interested in getting cost estimates for your specific project, please contact us and we'll be happy to help you!

  507 Hits

Maximizing Margins with Design for Manufacturing

"Maximizing Margins with DFM" is an article by Orthopedic Design Technology magazine looking at the DFM trends in the medical device industry. I feel analyzing DFM & DFA is an important step in the product development process that EQS applies to almost every project, and I was so pleased to be able to provide insight for this article.  We're also glad to see that more MedDev companies are applying these principles, as it helps everyone succeed and ultimately leades to better outcomes and lower costs. Please see the whole article at the link below.

http://www.odtmag.com/issues/2016-11-01/view_features/maximizing-margins-with-dfm/

 

  523 Hits

When to submit a new 510(k) for an existing device

It's understandable that changes sometimes need to be made to improve devices that are already cleared and being marketed.  Are you wondering if it's necessary to submit a new 510(k) for a device in this situation?  There are draft guidance documents issued by the FDA to help companies navigate these questions, and recent updates have been made to the recommendations.  So if you're unsure how changes affect your device status, make sure to revew the guidance documents.  See the recent press release from the FDA about this topic at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm515174.htm

  508 Hits

FDA and Additive Manufacturing for Medical Devices

Is your team thinking of using additive manufacturing for a medical device?  Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has become a reality in many industries including orthopedics.  Several devices that leverage this technology are now on the market.  They were the first to pave the way and navigate the FDA clearance process.  The FDA has been researching and following the developments in additive manufacturing and now they’ve released draft guidance which covers many relevant topics including manufacturing and processing, cleaning and sterilization, testing, and more. This document titled “Technical Considerations for Additive Manufactured Devices - Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff” is available to the public at the link below.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/UCM499809.pdf

If your team needs assistance with a medical device project involving additive manufacturing, don’t hesitate to contact Engineering & Quality Solutions, Inc.   We have experience with 3D printing applications for orthopedic devices and can help you understand the unique requirements of using this technology.

  503 Hits

Engineering & Quality Solutions, Inc. can help with technical training

Engineering & Quality Solutions also does technical training.  We’re happy to share our expertise and experiences with your team to help them become experts and increase productivity and efficiency.  Common course requests are GD&T, Medical Device Design Verification & Validation, and Medical Device Quality System Compliance.  If you have training needs like these or other similar topics, contact us to find out how we can help you.

  516 Hits

Should a company register and list with the FDA?

Engineering & Quality Solutions, Inc. often gets asked about FDA registration and listing…Which companies needs to register and list devices? When should a new or start-up device company register? Should a contract manufacturer be registered? The rules have changed over the years and the answer depends on the company, its products & services, and other factors. The link below to the FDA website provides guidelines on this sometimes complex subject. If you’re wondering about FDA registration and device listing for your company, feel free to contact us and we can help you determine the best path.

 

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/HowtoMarketYourDevice/RegistrationandListing/ucm053165.htm#contractmanufacturer

  579 Hits