ABSTRACT
Although the use of medical devices has a long history, modern medical use of devices only became realistic as an effective therapeutic intervention as the use of aseptic techniques expanded in the late 1800s. The first devices were, of course, fashioned from materials found in nature. Often, materials were obtained from domesticated animals. For example, leather was sculptured to form replacements for lost ears and noses and goose trachea was used as tubing in the measurement of arterial pressure. In all cases, key to the search for successful device materials was identifying materials with appropriate mechanical properties while minimizing the potential for adverse biological reactions.
