Surface-Level Solutions to the Complications of Implantable Medical Devices

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) have become ubiquitous in modern medicine, yet the commercialization of advanced surface science technologies to improve their performance has remained largely stagnant in recent decades even as the global IMD market size surpasses $140 billion. In this perspective, we highlight recent advances in the field of medical device surface science that demonstrate astounding potential to improve quality of life for the millions of individuals who rely on these devices. IMDs of any type are subject to significant risks of complications, mainly due to microbial colonization or because of the patient’s immune response recognizing the IMD as a foreign object. As IMDs support vital biological functions, patients are often left with no choice but to assume the risks of these complications. The technologies discussed here employ a variety of strategies to combat these modes of failure and mitigate the severity of the inevitable complications incurred by patients. Further, we illustrate pervasive limitations in quantifying the holistic burden brought by IMD complications, an exceptionally critical concept for IMD researchers to understand during their efforts to secure the substantial resources required for IMD technological development and translation.