Student Live Brief – 2025 Kick off session

We were excited to kick off the third-year Live Brief session with students this year! This is always a highlight for us, as we get to see the enthusiasm and fresh perspectives of first-year biomedical science students diving into the challenge. It was fantastic to witness such a strong turnout and interest in this year’s topic.

What is a Live Brief?

A Live Brief is a real-world industry challenge set by businesses for students, giving them the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to practical problems. It’s not just a theoretical exercise – it’s about developing critical thinking, research skills, and solutions that could have real-world impact. These projects help students bridge the gap between academia and industry, preparing them for careers in biomedical sciences, healthcare technology, and medical device innovation.

At ARU Peterborough, this initiative plays a significant role in shaping the next generation of scientists and engineers. The university has been developing strong ties with industry to ensure students gain valuable hands-on experience, making them work-ready graduates in rapidly evolving fields like medical technology and healthcare innovation.

Previous Live Brief Topics

Over the past two years, we’ve explored medical device instructions for use and antimicrobial coatings – both critical areas in ensuring device safety and performance. These projects allowed students to engage with real-world challenges, from improving user guidance to understanding how coatings can prevent infections.

This year, we’re taking it a step further.

2025 Live Brief Topic: Microbial & Biocompatibility Considerations in Medical Devices

Students will research materials, manufacturing processes, and maintenance procedures, focusing on their impact on a medical device’s biocompatibility. Their challenge is to evaluate how these factors influence the device lifecycle, particularly in relation to reprocessing and long-term safety.

As always, the students have been divided into five groups, each focusing on a specific medical device category. However, this year, we’re changing things up. Instead of creating traditional poster presentations, the students will produce a podcast-style video where they’ll discuss their findings, debate key issues, and share insights. This shift encourages more engagement, creativity, and critical thinking, while also giving each student their 20 seconds of fame.

We’re constantly pushing the boundaries of how academia and industry collaborate, and seeing so many students engage with real-world medical device challenges is incredibly inspiring. These projects are more than just academic exercises – they provide students with a glimpse into industry challenges and help shape the future of medical device safety.

We can’t wait to see their final projects! Stay tuned for updates on their findings.

Contact Us:

020 3813 0969 info@testlabsuk.com

Explore how we can support your medical device journey to the market

Medical Device Biocompatibility Testing

We offer tests which evaluate cytotoxicity and biological risks within the chemical make-up of a medical device.

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Reusable medical device reprocessing

We test your medical device reprocessing procedures, as detailed in your IFU, validating the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation cycles.

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Medical Device Cleaning Validation

We validate your medical device cleaning instructions, as detailed in your IFU, which can be manual or automated.

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Written by Tautvydas Karitonas February 14th 2025

Tautvydas Karitonas is an experienced professional with a decade of involvement in developing cutting-edge healthcare products that are now widely used in hospitals globally. He presently serves as the Managing Director at Test Labs, a Medical Device Contract Research Organization dedicated to accelerating access to market for medical devices. Adept at balancing technical expertise, strategic vision, and the ability to inspire others, his leadership is defined by a distinctive blend of proficiency, strategic thinking, and effective guidance.

Tautvydas holds BSc and MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering, which provides him with a distinctive approach that links product design and development process with device verification and validation. He has used his experience in developing hydrogen peroxide and UV-C light technologies to influence the laboratory design and expedite research timelines. Tautvydas is proud of leading the Test Labs team in achieving a prestigious UKAS accreditation in under 12 months.

Tautvydas is an expert in product development, validation, and problem-solving, making him a valuable member of any team he works with. He shares his knowledge and passion for the industry through his posts, where he discusses a range of topics from the latest medical device regulations to the impact of emerging technologies on the healthcare industry.