Importance of interdisciplinary training for successful development of innovative biomedical implants

Abstract

The development of novel and innovative biomaterials and biomedical devices like medical implants is a sophisticated task that requires expertise ranging from physicians over engineers and natural scientists to regulatory officers for clinical translation to be most efficient. This short communication should highlight the specific requirements and perspectives of the different disciplines and conclude on the importance of interdisciplinary training for early-stage researchers. For this purpose, experts for clinical practice, material development, biological testing and medical device approval with profound experience in interdisciplinary research summarized and discussed current literature and knowledge. Multiple interactions right from the start of the design phase until the medical device approval could clearly be identified. As not all relevant study programs already include interdisciplinary training, implementing structured interdisciplinary doctoral programs is advised to accelerate innovative biomedical implant development.

Keywords

• interdisciplinary research
• biomedical implant development
• early-stage researcher education