Laura Whitsitt

In September, medical professionals and designers gathered in Chicago for the American Medical Device Summit, covering the newest developments in medical technology. Medical Design Technology editorial director David Mantey sat down with professionals in the field to talk about the science and business of medical design.

Laura Whitsitt, SVP of research and emerging technologies at Smith & Nephew, talked about the changes ahead in the medical device field, including regulatory pressure and rising costs. Companies have to adapt to new methods, she said, including additive manufacturing. Direct part marking is also an important topic of conversation at present, she said.

One of the more futuristic concepts Whitsitt discussed was the possibility of biologic medical procedures, of something like a hip replacement enabled by cartilage and bone re-grown at a cellular level instead of replacing the bone with a prosthetic.