Expert review of medical devices最新文献

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) devices are essential for critically ill patients but present significant usability challenges that create use-related risks affecting patient safety. This study applied expert-involved usability engineering to develop a user-centered CRRT device.

Methods: A three-phase study engaged 233 experts: Phase 1 assessed user needs through an online survey (n = 204) identifying use-related risks. Phase 2 developed and iteratively refined a CRRT prototype through expert review (n = 8) and heuristic evaluation (n = 5). Phase 3 validated the final prototype with ICU nurses (n = 16) through task performance in simulated ICU environments. Main outcomes included user satisfaction scores and use error observations.

Results: Phase 1 identified user needs and use-related risks, which were translated into user interface requirements. The initial prototype was developed and refined after iterative usability tests. The final prototype demonstrated high satisfaction scores: Overall User Experience 4.29 ± 0.53, Ease of Use 4.23 ± 0.50, and Comparative Assessment 3.56 ± 0.72. The validation test confirmed effective mitigation of use-related risks. Eight use errors and 48 use difficulties were identified for further refinement.

Conclusions: Systematic expert involvement in usability engineering successfully developed a CRRT device that effectively mitigated use-related risks while achieving high user satisfaction, demonstrating the value of expert integration in medical device development.

Background: The goal of this study is to perform a propensity score matched analysis of sutureless AVR and TAVR to compare patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes including hemodynamic performance.

Methods: Patients treated with either sutureless aortic valve replacement (SU-AVR) using Perceval^TM or transcatheter aortic valve replacement between October 2017 and June 2022 were included. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to limit the bias in a non-randomized study.

Results: After PSM, 118 pairs of patients were obtained. The in-hospital mortality rate was 0% in SU-AVR and 4.2% in TAVR (p = 0.063). Postoperative complication rates including disabling stroke (0% vs 2.5%, p = 0.250), new need for dialysis (1.7% vs 0%, p = 0.500), and permanent pacemaker implantation at 30 days (5.9% vs 10.2%, p = 0.332) showed no statistical difference. At discharge, TAVR showed significantly lower peak and mean gradients, while paravalvular leakage higher than 1/4 was significantly higher in TAVR (11% vs 0%, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: TAVR offers significantly better transprosthetic gradients, shorter ICU and hospital stays, and less need for postoperative dialysis. Surgery using a sutureless valve showed less paravalvular leakage.

Introduction: Rural populations bear a disproportionate burden of preventable vision loss due to scant ophthalmic resources, long travel distances, and delayed diagnoses of vision-threatening conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Teleophthalmology, leveraging portable imaging devices, data connectivity, and remote interpretation, offers a critical solution by bringing diagnostic capabilities to underserved communities and enabling earlier intervention before irreversible vision loss occurs.

Areas covered: This report reviews the evolution and performance of handheld fundus cameras and smartphone-based adapters for ophthalmic imaging, as well as portable and home-based OCT systems for high-resolution structural assessment. We summarize key studies that validate device accuracy and examine artificial intelligence algorithms that autonomously grade retinal images with regulatory clearance. We also discuss implementation challenges, including infrastructure gaps, image-quality limitations, cost-utility data, and outline strategies such as hybrid AI-expert workflows, federated learning, and integration of tele-eye care into existing public health programs.

Expert opinion: Teleophthalmology devices have matured into reliable tools that can democratize eye care. Their success depends on robust digital infrastructure, rigorous device and algorithm validation, and sustainable financing models. Investment in local training, community engagement, and interoperable referral networks is crucial for translating technological advances into meaningful reductions in rural vision impairment.

Background: The remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) wearable device offers a noninvasive, non-pharmacological option for migraine management, but its role in Indian healthcare remains unexplored.

Research design and methods: This retrospective, observational, real-world analysis included patients prescribed REN (Nerivio®) by neurologists across India. Deidentified data were collected via the Portea Medical patient support program, with a three-month follow-up. The primary outcome assessed the effectiveness and safety of the device. Secondary outcomes included changes in headache frequency and medication regimes.

Results: The study population included 1033 patients (mean [SD] age: 38.8 [13] years; 74.8% female; 84.6% with chronic migraine). At two hours post-treatment with REN, 57.3% reported pain relief, 29.4% achieved pain freedom, 47.1% experienced relief from functional disability, and 26.1% reported complete freedom from functional disability. At three months, 70.3% found REN effective. The mean visual analog scale score for pain severity decreased by 2.3 units (p < 0.001). No adverse events occurred in 38.7% of patients. REN usage significantly reduced monthly headache days, frequency of oral medication use, and medicine dosage.

Conclusion: REN is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated non-pharmacological option for migraine management in India. However, long-term studies are necessary to extend these findings across diverse populations.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (CTRI/2024/11/076750).

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2023 that approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, are living with a disability. Among these, locomotor disabilities constitute a significant portion, underscoring the urgent need for devices that enhance mobility and support daily living. The growing demand for assistive devices highlights the critical importance of tools that foster independence and improve overall health and well-being for individuals with mobility impairments.

Area covered: This review provides an update on the existing locomotor assistive devices (LADs), exploring their applications, benefits, limitations, and areas where further advancements are necessary. Special attention is given to hybrid assistive devices, a recent innovation that integrates mobility aids, transfer systems, and rehabilitation tools into a unified platform.

Expert opinion: The LADs, particularly hybrid devices, not only promote user autonomy but also alleviate the caregiver demands. Additionally, this review also suggests areas for future research and development, focusing on improving the accessibility, usability, and affordability of LADs to enhance the quality of life for individuals with locomotor disabilities.

Introduction: The integration of software into medical devices has profoundly transformed the healthcare landscape, enabling precise diagnostics, personalized treatment , and remote patient monitoring. The rapid pace of software development - especially with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) - demands regulatory frameworks to ensure patient safety, effectiveness, and reliability.

Areas covered: Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) refers to software intended for medical purposes that operates independently of a physical device. This article traces the historical development of regulatory approaches, deconstructs existing frameworks, analyzes challenges and influencing factors, presents case studies, and anticipates future trends. A narrative literature search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, FDA.gov, EUR-Lex and IMDRF.org, covering materials published between January 2013 and May 2025.

Expert opinion: The Total Product Lifecycle (TPLC) framework is essential for managing evolving risks and performance of AI/ML-based SaMD. These technologies are redefining regulatory assumptions, requiring systems that ensure transparency, mitigate bias, sustain trust, and promote equitable, safe innovation.

Introduction: Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) poses significant therapeutic challenges, especially in patients at high surgical risk or unsuitable for transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) has emerged as a viable alternative, with the EVOQUE Eos system representing a next-generation, fully retrievable, transseptal TMVR platform tailored to address prior limitations in safety, anatomical fit, and procedural control.

Areas covered: This review outlines the design features, procedural considerations, and early clinical performance of the EVOQUE Eos TMVR system, referencing results from the first-in-human experience and the ongoing MISCEND trial. Furthermore, the EVOQUE Eos is compared with other contemporary TMVR systems. Procedural challenges such as paravalvular leak, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, bleeding, and hypoattenuated leaflet thickening (HALT) are discussed in context.

Expert opinion: The EVOQUE Eos system marks a pivotal advancement in TMVR by offering fully percutaneous access, intuitive deployment, and retrievability. While early outcomes are encouraging, further data are needed to guide patient selection, antithrombotic management, and long-term valve durability. The system may play a central role in the expanding treatment landscape for MR, potentially transforming standard practice in the coming years.