Materials science and computer modeling as foundation for medical device innovation

Every product that is not software or service, needs to be made out of materials, which makes materials science a key enabling technology and a focus area at Medtronic’s corporate research center. Of special interest are materials processing, i.e., joining and welding, materials solutions that enable disruptive therapies, and methods to predict the performance of a device in the human body, which is defined by fatigue and aging behavior and its interaction with the biological surroundings. To make predictions of the performance of a device, we need to understand the distribution of use condition and strength. Computer modeling is a powerful tool to make such predictions. At Medtronic, we have used sophisticated simulations to accelerate product development and as evidence in regulatory submissions. In my talk, I will show through examples, how we use cutting edge materials science and industry leading computer modeling technology to bring life-changing medical devices to the market to the benefit of our patients.

Markus Reiterer, grow up in Austria and received both his Dipl.-Ing. (M.S.) and Doctorate (Ph.D.) from the University of Leoben in Austria. During his graduate studies, Markus was employed as Research Associate at the Fraunhofer-Institute for Mechanics of Materials in Freiburg, Germany. In 2004 Markus joined Sandia Natl. Labs as Post-Doctoral Appointee, where he continued his research in computational simulation of sintering of ceramics. He is an internationally recognized expert in mechanics of granular media and theory of sintering. Since joining Medtronic in 2006, Markus has been subject matter experts in many projects critical to quality or revenue. He is known as expert for FEA of materials with complex behavior, high cycle fatigue, welding and joining, and tribology. Markus is a member of the Pan-Medtronic working group for computer modeling and simulation. He has been at the forefront of the development of realistic human simulation at Medtronic. In 2015 he co-authored a roadmap on “In Silico Clinical Trials” which was product of the Avicenna Coordination Support Action. Since the inauguration, Markus board member of the Avicenna Alliance for Predictive Medicine. In 2017 Medtronic joined the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), where Markus represents Medtronic’s interests. Markus has been successfully leading several Medtronic - university collaborations, given multiple invited talks at international conference, co-organized several international conferences, published 18 peer-reviewed papers, frequently serves as journal reviewer and was a special edition editor for Frontiers in Physiology. Markus holds 9 patents. In the past couple of years, Markus has gained interest in non-technical aspects of problem solving and concepts of critical thinking.