Innovation Keynote Session
Welcome to the TAPPI NET Division Innovative Nonwovens Conference (NETInc). The Innovation Keynote Session will kick off the conference with speakers and innovations in the nonwovens arena that are changing the world we live in and shaping the face of the future of nonwovens.
- Innovation In Nonwovens Award Presentation - Anthony Atala, M.D., Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center: Dr. Anthony Atala from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has been awarded the first annual 2011 Innovation in Nonwovens Award for his work using nonwoven scaffolds for regenerative medicine. During the Awards Presentation, Dr. Atala will discuss his work and also provide his view of the future of nonwovens in the medical arena. Be there to hear him discuss his development of the first lab-grown organ to be implanted in a human and future experimental fabrication technology to "print" human tissue on demand. He is uniquely qualified to speak about the future of nonwovens in the medical arena. Dr. Atala, M.D., is Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the W.H. Boyce Professor and Chair of Urology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina. His team engineered the first lab-grown organ to be implanted into a human -- a bladder -- and is developing experimental fabrication technology to "print" human tissue on demand. He also operates regularly and runs a busy pediatric urology clinic. Dr. Atala was number 71 on Fast Company Magazines Top 100 Most Creative People in Business and has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show as well as CNN.
- Challenges to Continued Innovation of Textile-Based Medical Devices: What the Future Holds for FDA's 510(k) Clearance Process - Peter Mayberry, Mayberry & Associates LLC: "The report, "Medical Devices and the Public Health: The FDA 510(k) Clearance Process at 35 Years," could, in fact, ultimately have a chilling impact on innovation to all sorts of nonwovens including feminine hygiene products (tampons and pads); single-use surgical drapes; single-use surgical gowns and other operating room apparel; bandages and other types of wound dressings -- virtually all of which are classified as either Class I or Class II medical devices under U.S. law." -Taken from a recent article by Peter Mayberry in Nonwovens Industry Magazine. After this presentation, audience members should have a thorough understanding of the process used by the U.S. government to approve new/improved medical devices made from nonwovens and other technical textiles; They will know how and why concerns have been raised regarding the approval process for new/improved medical devices; Understand the conclusions, recommendations, and implications of a major report on the issue that was released in late-July, 2011, by a scientific committee tasked by the U.S. government to study the approval process; and identify potential next steps, opportunities to get involved, and the impact this issue could have on innovation in medical device manufacturing.
- The Shape of Sustainable Non-Woven Packaging - Don Scott, VP of Marketing & Business Development, Malnove Packaging and Packaging Solutions: Hear a true innovation success story from a company that has successfully used nonwovens in a new packaging solution that is gaining national recognition. Their nonwovens packaging solution was recently highlighted on CNBC and featured in Package Design Magazine. Sustainable packaging is hot topic and a driving force for shelf space and consumer demand - this company is leading the way
TAPPI's peer-review process for speaker selection assures the highest-quality presentations with minimal commercialism.
By registering, you'll receive the conference proceedings on a CD-ROM that contains the extended abstracts and presentation slides allowing you to benefit from all the sessions while attending the ones most important to you. These event proceedings also become a valuable reference tool once you return to work.
In addition, by attending you can network with industry leaders and peers facing many of the same challenges.