Creating Better Medical Devices—in the Fourth Dimension

Time is supposed to heal all wounds. But it doesn’t always heal equally or efficiently.

Consequently, experts at the University of Birmingham and Imperial College London have launched a  project aimed at revolutionizing medical device engineering by incorporating a fourth dimension—time—into design to achieve new functionality. 

The 4D Health Tech initiative addresses a critical gap in medical device design: neglect of time-dependent changes in the human body. Traditional medical devices fail to account for growth, movement, and tissue regeneration or degeneration, leading to compromised functionality and shortened lifespan.  

For example, most pediatric implants do not grow with the child and must be regularly changed. Stoma bags leak because they do not fully conform to skin folds, and bone implants do not predictably degrade as surrounding tissues regenerate. 

Backed by £1.2 million of UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding, the three-year Network Plus aims to position the United Kingdom at the forefront of healthcare innovation by focusing on delivering improved patient outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and driving more U.K. innovation in the medical device sector. 

Funded as part of a wider £10 million investment responding to the national report, “Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges,” the project will create a network connecting academics, businesses, clinicians, patients and policymakers. This collaboration will serve as a springboard to create bigger, longer-term research projects. 

“Our bodies change over time as we grow, move and regenerate, but products designed to replace or repair our bodies typically neglect the dimension of time, compromising their function and lifespan,” project lead Dr. Sophie Cox, from the University of Birmingham said. “We believe this initiative will position the U.K. at the forefront of healthcare innovation as well as helping to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and foster innovation in the medical device sector. Our vision is to transform the way we engineer medical devices. Fostering connections across the supply chain will create a new culture of 4D Health Tech embedding innovative thinking, patient perspective and diversity, ensuring this new age of medical devices offers improved healthcare outcomes for everyone.” 

The project aims to promote the use of innovative materials that degrade predictably and promote faster healing and combine this with expertise in cutting-edge automated design, advanced manufacturing processes, and patient specific pre-clinical testing to create better medical devices that cater to diverse populations. 

The project is led by researchers from both universities, including Professor Andrew Dove (materials), Cox (manufacturing), Professor Michael Bryant (testing), Dr. Samantha Cruz Rivera and Dr. Sarah Hughes (clinical outcomes), and Imperial design experts Professor Robert Hewson and Dr. Connor Myant. 

“Engineering is the cornerstone to a more sustainable, successful and thriving future for the U.K. From developing renewable energy solutions to creating smart cities, engineering innovations are driving progress in every sector,” EPSRC Executive Director for Research Jane Nicholson stated. “These new networks will address the strategic challenges outlined by the TERC report. Together, these researchers present a hugely ambitious, thoughtful response to the economic, environmental and social challenges we all face.” 

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers, and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries. 

The UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the main funding body for U.K. engineering and physical sciences research. Its portfolio covers a vast range of fields from digital technologies to clean energy, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry. EPSRC invests in research and skills, advancing knowledge and delivering a sustainable, resilient and prosperous U.K. Working in partnership and co-investing with industry, EPSRC supports national and global priorities.