The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) will host its attend the 23rd annual AAMI/FDA International Conference on Medical Device Standards and Regulation, March 20-21, 2013 in Herndon, Va.

Sponsored jointly by AAMI and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the conference will provide up-to-date, detailed information about some of the latest standards and regulatory initiatives that affect manufacturers of medical devicesboth in the U.S. and overseas. 

Session discussions will cover changes to the European Medical Device Directive, cyber security concerns, device interoperability challenges, quality management for combination products, human factors considerations, the recent amendment to the ANSI/AAMI/IEC 60601 standard on medical electrical equipment, and the FDA's priorities for 2013. (The full program will be posted online by Dec. 21.)

Sterile Processing

 sterile processing page provides an inside look into the sterile processing (or central supply) department in the hospital where surgical instruments are cleaned, sterilized, and reprocessed in order to disinfect, remove bioburden, and prep for upcoming procedures. Sterile processing applies to not only the knives, scalpels, scissors, forceps, and clamps used in surgery, but also instruments such as endoscopes and duodenoscopes. 

 reports on the latest technology but also on the means to disinfect that technology. Also, the trend toward making more disposable surgical equipment. What does that mean for the sterile processing team?

AAMI to Hold Conference on Medical Device Standards and Regulation