Engineers are problem solvers; clinicians do whatever is necessary to extend and improve life. Put them together and you have the Materials, Medicine and Nanotechnology Summit, held October 2-5 in Cleveland and hosted by the Cleveland Clinic, ASM International and Nano-Network.

"The challenges faced in the design of medical implants and devices are frequently materials related," said Shuvo Roy, Co-Director of the BioMEMS Laboratory at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute. "Which material will reduce the possibility of clotting most effectively? Which one will best ensure compatibility with living tissue? How can a smaller implant lead to a less-invasive surgical procedure? Answers to these questions may come from recent advances in materials and nanotechnology."

By providing a point of intersection between materials and medicine, the Summit gives biomedical and device designers a way to understand the needs of surgeons and the potential of nanotechnology solutions. "The devices these days need significant input from mechanical engineers, materials people, electronic engineers," said Leonard A.R. Golding, M.D., Director of the Innovative Ventricular Assist System (IVAS) Program at the Cleveland Clinic. "It gets complicated. You need to have your group heading in the same direction."

On Tuesday, October 3 through noon on Wednesday, October 4, the Summit will feature Plenary Sessions jointly developed by the Cleveland Clinic and ASM International:

Plenary Session I - Orthopedics

- Edward Benzel, M.D., Spine Institute, Cleveland Clinic

- Dana Medlin, Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Plenary Session II - Cardiovascular

- Leonard Golding, M.D., Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Plenary Session III - Neurology

- Ali Rezai, M.D., Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic

- Ramakrishna Venugopalan, Ph.D., Codman and Shurtleff, a J&J Company Plenary Session IV - Nanotechnology

- Michael Gertner, M.D., Stanford University

- Samuel A. Wickline, M.D., Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center

- Michael N. Helmus, Ph.D., Advance Nanotech Plenary Session V - Engineered Biomaterials

- Tony Calabro, Ph.D., Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic

- Jonathan Baskin, M.D., Case Western Reserve University Plenary Session VI - Minimally Invasive Surgery

- Peter Rasmussen, M.D., Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic

- Sanjay Shrivastava, Ph.D., Abbott Vascular Devices

From Wednesday afternoon, October 4 through Thursday, October 5, the Summit will feature two parallel tracks. The Nanomedicine track is focused on biomedical sensors, drug delivery, cellular diagnostics, tissue engineering and clinical opportunities for nanoparticles. The Materials and Processes for Medical Devices track recognizes the role of materials selection and processes in the development of new devices.

Keynote Session I -- Biomedical Sensors

Unique sensors to fulfill unmet clinical needs in portable and rapid diagnostic and long-term physiological monitoring in vivo. Featured speakers include:

- Rashid Bashir, Ph.D., Purdue University

- Aaron Fleischman, Ph.D., Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Keynote Session II -- Surface Modification and Coatings

Surface coatings and finishing techniques to enhance functional properties such as wear, corrosion resistance and enhanced biocompatibility. Featured speakers include:

- David Cebon, Ph.D., Granta Design Limited

- Donald F. Gibbons, D.Sc., Ph.D., 3M Biosciences Laboratory (Retired) Keynote Session III -- Drug Delivery

Innovative devices and strategies for targeted and programmed delivery of therapeutic agents to maximize efficacy. Featured speakers include:

- John T. Santini, Jr., Ph.D., MicroCHIPS, Inc.

- Tejal Desai, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco

- Pamela B. Davis, M.D., Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University Keynote Session IV -- Nanoparticles/Nanomaterials Fracture, fatigue, corrosion and materials degradation. Featured speakers include:

- Thomas J. Webster, Ph.D., Brown University Keynote Session V -- Tissue Engineering

Distinctive translational approaches to develop functional tissue and organ replacement. Featured speakers include:

- William H. Fissell, M.D., Nephrology, University of Michigan

- George Muschler, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic

- Horst von Recum, Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering Case Western Reserve University Keynote Session VI -- Failure Analysis Fracture, fatigue, corrosion and materials degradation. Keynote Session VII -- Nanoscale Diagnostics Specialized tools to localize and investigate cellular characteristics. Featured speakers include:

- Derek Hansford, Ph.D., Ohio State University

- Maciej Zborowski, Ph.D., Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic

- Daniel Fletcher, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Keynote Session VIII -- Startup to Commercialization From technical innovation to commercial success (what works and what doesn't), process steps for success. Featured speakers include:

- Darel Hodgson, Ph.D., Nitinol Technology, Inc.

- Michael Lang, BioEnterprise Keynote Session IX -- Nanoparticles In Vivo Identification of clinical opportunities for nanoparticles in tumor detection and treatment.

The Summit begins on Monday, October 2, with ASM tutorials on Materials and Processes for Medical Devices. Morning sessions are designed for engineers, while afternoon sessions are designed specifically for clinicians. Topics and presenters include:

- Introduction to Polymers for Medical Devices, presented by Richard Lange, Ph.D., The Lubrizol Corporation (Retired)

- Basic Metallurgy for Medical Devices, presented by Dana Medlin, Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

- Nitinol for Medical Devices, presented by Alan Pelton, Ph.D., Nitinol Devices and Components

- Fatigue, Fracture and Corrosion for Medical Devices, presented by Brad James, Ph.D., Exponent Failure Analysis Associates.