FROM THE PREFACE
The field of medical devices represents one of the most advanced technological areas in the United States. In 1991, over 12 million Americans had at least one medical device; fixation devices had the highest incidence, followed by contact lens use and lens implants and, lastly, artificial joints. The public has come to expect that medical devices will alleviate maladies and/or conditions that were not treatable fifty years ago.
It is hard to believe that the first pacemaker was invented in the 1950s, the first artificial heart valve in 1952, and the first artificial...