Society For Biomaterials History Summit Convenes To Record The History Of Medical Inventions

Main Category: Medical Devices
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry;  Conferences
Article Date: 20 Feb 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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If you have contact lenses, an artificial hip joint, a dental implant, a mechanical heart valve or just about any medical device in your body, you can thank a bioengineer.

The society's founders and past presidents, an international group, are gathering to commemorate the contributions of bioengineers that have benefited so many since the 1960s, Clemson University hosts the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) History Summit Feb. 20-22 at the Madren Center. The society's founders and past presidents, an international group, gather to record an audio history of the society and origins of bioengineering inventions and devices from the last four decades.

"This is an unprecedented gathering of the greatest minds in bioengineering," said Martine LaBerge, chairwoman of the department of bioengineering and president of the SFB. "It is a great honor for Clemson University to host this memorable event where the enthusiasm of participating past presidents and founders of the SFB is only surpassed by their dedication for a field that is the cornerstone of medical technology today."

Recording sessions take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Teleconference Room.

The outcome of the summit will be the audio recording and the publication of a monograph that captures the historical background of the society to be shared and built upon by present and future bioengineers.

"We are, in essence, passing the torch," said Samuel F. Hulbert, chairman of the event and president-emeritus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He also is the founder and a past president of the SFB. "The outcome of this summit will assure that the SFB's rich past and the foundation for an exciting future is not forgotten."

The SFB is the premier professional society that promotes advances in all phases of materials research and development by encouraging cooperative educational programs, clinical applications and professional standards in the biomaterials field. More than 1,500 members worldwide represent industry, medicine, academia and regulation.

The SFB has been a pillar in Clemson University's international reputation as the landmark for the field of biomaterials. In 1969, Clemson hosted the first in a series of annual symposia that led to the founding of the Society for Biomaterials in 1974. The SFB annually recognizes three outstanding researchers in the field through the prestigious Clemson Award for Contributions to Literature, the Clemson Award for Basic Research and the Clemson Award for Applied Research.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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For information about the C. William Hall Biomaterials Documentation Center and the SFB History Summit at Clemson, click here.
For information on the Society for Biomaterials, go to http://www.biomaterials.org/.

Source: Susan Polowczuk
Clemson University