Program Overview

University of Massachusetts Lowell Program Details

The University of Massachusetts Lowell offers a range of programs, including online and professional studies. One of the programs offered is the Plastics in Medical Devices seminar.

Program Overview

Plastics in Medical Devices

This seminar is designed for individuals interested in an introductory course about how polymers and plastics are used in medical devices. The course covers the basics of biomaterials, material selection considerations, materials testing, biocompatibility, extractables and leachables, and device sterilization. Other materials, such as metals and ceramics, are also described as alternatives or complements to plastics.

Course Content

Biomaterials

• Definitions and basic concepts
  • Intro biological terminology and immune response
  • Polymers and natural materials
  • Metals and ceramics
  • Interfaces and coatings
  • Biodegradation and controlled release
  • Introduction to Biomedical Devices market and applications

Biocompatibility

• ISO 10993 and endpoints of biological evaluation
• Extractables and leachables

Sterilization

• Common methods
• Relative advantages and disadvantages
• Sterilization process validation

Course Details

• Course Number: PLSM.7280
• Tuition: $1,850
• Format: In-Person Only
• Dates: July 8-10

Instructors

The seminar is taught by Dr. Meg Sobkowicz Kline and Dr. Amy Peterson, both professors of Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Dr. Meg Sobkowicz Kline

Dr. Sobkowicz Kline is a professor of Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She completed her bachelor's of science in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University in New York. She worked as a field engineer in the petroleum industry and in the municipal water treatment industry before returning to school to complete her doctorate in renewable polymer nanocomposites.

Dr. Amy Peterson

Dr. Peterson is a Professor of Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell with expertise in interfacial phenomena and additive manufacturing (AM). Her research group studies processing-structure-property relationships in polymers and polymer composites, with a focus on interfacial phenomena in multilayered systems. She received her PhD in 2011 from Drexel University, where she was an NSF IGERT and Graduate Research Fellow.