Event | SPE Medical Plastics Division

Announcing Professor Brenda Ogle KeynoteSpeaker, UMN Expert on 3D Bioink Printing of HeartTissue at 2026 Medtech Twin Cities Conference

Posted on September 24, 2026September 24, 2026 by Theresa Shafer

University of Minnesota biomedical engineering professor to present “Bio ink Development to Advance 3D Bioprinting & Organoid Development” at MiniTec Conference at MD&M Midwest

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — September 23, 2026 — The SPE Medical Plastics Division (MPD) is pleased to announce Brenda Ogle, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, as the keynote speaker for the MiniTec Conference at MD&M Midwest 2026.

Dr. Ogle will present “Bio ink Development to Advance 3D Bioprinting & Organoid Development,” highlighting advances in cardiac tissue engineering and the development of novel bio ink formulations for creating complex, living cardiac tissues through 3D bioprinting.

The MiniTec Conference takes place October 28, 2026, in conjunction with MD&M Midwest and brings together experts in medical polymers, materials science, medical device development, advanced manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and healthcare innovation.

Advancing Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Cardiac tissue engineering seeks to create living human cardiac tissue outside the body. In the near term, engineered tissues can provide model systems for studying heart function, disease, therapeutics, and medical technologies. Longer term, this research could contribute to new approaches for replacing diseased or damaged cardiac muscle.

Dr. Ogle’s laboratory studies the relationship between stem cells, cardiac cell types, and the extracellular matrix to understand how these interactions can guide tissue engineering. Her research interests include stem cell differentiation, extracellular matrices, and 3D bioprinting.

During her MiniTec keynote, Dr. Ogle will share some of her laboratory’s most surprising mechanistic insights and explain how these discoveries are guiding the development of novel bio ink formulations for 3D bioprinting complex cardiac tissues.

Her team’s work demonstrates the potential for combining materials science, biology, and engineering to create increasingly sophisticated living tissue models. The Ogle Lab has previously developed 3D-bioprinted cardiac patches and continues to advance 3D cardiac bioprinting and engineered heart tissues.

From Bio inks to Organoids

Bio inks are a critical component of 3D bioprinting because they must provide an environment capable of supporting living cells while also enabling fabrication into useful three-dimensional structures.

Dr. Ogle’s research investigates how extracellular matrix proteins influence stem cell behavior and how these insights can be translated into engineered tissues. Current work within her laboratory includes ECM-based bio inks, cardiac organoids, engineered heart tissues, and 3D-printed chambered cardiac constructs.

This intersection of advanced polymers and biomaterials, 3D printing, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine makes Dr. Ogle’s keynote especially relevant to the MiniTec 2026 theme, “Polymers: The Material Platform Behind Modern Healthcare.”

About Brenda Ogle, PhD

Brenda Ogle, PhD, is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on understanding the conditions that govern stem cell fate and using those insights to enhance the regenerative capacity of biological systems, particularly the cardiovascular system. Her research interests include stem cell differentiation, extracellular matrices, tissue engineering, and 3D bioprinting.

Her laboratory combines stem cell biology with engineering principles to develop technologies for repairing or replacing damaged tissues. Recent University of Minnesota research also involves the development of stem-cell-derived cardiac models that mimic aspects of heart function and can serve as platforms for studying disease, therapies, and other biological effects.

About MiniTec 2026

The SPE Medical Plastics Division MiniTec Conference at MD&M Midwest brings together professionals working at the intersection of polymers, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, and medical technology.

The 2026 program explores five major areas shaping the future of healthcare:

Advanced Materials for Healthcare Applications
Next-Generation Medical Devices and Therapies
Advanced Manufacturing and Processing Technologies
Sustainable Healthcare Materials and Manufacturing
Regulatory Compliance, Testing, and Standards

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from technical experts, explore emerging technologies, and connect with colleagues working to advance polymers and materials for healthcare applications.

MiniTec Conference at MD&M Midwest
October 28, 2026
Keynote: Bio ink Development to Advance 3D Bioprinting & Organoid Development
Speaker: Brenda Ogle, PhD

View the MiniTec keynote session details and Brenda Ogle’s speaker profile.

About SPE Medical Plastics Division

The SPE Medical Plastics Division connects professionals involved in the development, manufacture, testing, and application of polymers and plastics for medical and healthcare products. Through technical conferences, educational programs, professional networking, and knowledge sharing, the division helps advance polymer technology and its application throughout the medical industry.

Polymers: The Material Platform Behind Modern Healthcare — Explore the Future at MiniTec Conference 2026

Posted on September 10, 2026September 24, 2026 by Theresa Shafer

Medical technology continues to advance at a remarkable pace. New materials, smarter manufacturing processes, artificial intelligence, personalized devices, and evolving regulatory requirements are changing not only what medical products can do, how they are designed and manufactured.

On October 28, 2026, the SPE Medical Plastics Division will bring together experts from across the medical plastics and healthcare industries for the Medical Polymers MiniTec Conference at MD&M Midwest. The one-day technical conference runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CDT and focuses on the theme “Polymers: The Material Platform Behind Modern Healthcare.”

The program gives engineers, scientists, manufacturers, product developers, and other healthcare professionals to learn about innovations shaping the next generation of medical products.

1. Advanced Materials for Healthcare Applications

Materials are at the foundation of medical device innovation. As healthcare products become smaller, smarter, more durable, and more personalized, material requirements are becoming increasingly demanding.

Attendees will explore developments in smart, self-healing, bioinspired, and antimicrobial medical polymers that may advance device performance and enable new applications.

The program examines biocompatibility, biomaterials, and material performance, including how materials can improve safety, longevity, and performance.

Advanced polymers are also opening possibilities beyond traditional medical devices. New material technologies are helping enable wearables, drug delivery systems, and emerging therapeutic approaches, creating new opportunities for engineers and materials scientists to influence the future of healthcare.

2. Next-Generation Medical Devices and Therapies

The medical device industry is increasingly combining materials science with digital technologies.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are creating new opportunities to advance healthcare innovation, product development, and medical device performance. At the same time, wearable technologies, advanced drug delivery systems, and increasingly personalized devices are changing how patients interact with healthcare products.

Attendees will learn about developments involving next-generation medical devices, advanced materials, digital health solutions, personalized products, and patient feedback. These technologies can help medical device companies move toward products designed around individual patients rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

3. Advanced Manufacturing and Processing Technologies

Innovative materials must ultimately be transformed into reliable, manufacturable products.

That makes manufacturing technology an essential part of medical polymer innovation.

We will examine additive manufacturing, including 3D and 4D printing, and its expanding role in producing sophisticated medical products. Advanced polymer processing and micro-fabrication technologies are also enabling increasingly complex components, smaller features, and new device architectures.

Artificial intelligence is also beginning to influence the factory floor as well. AI-enabled manufacturing, process control, and quality assurance can help manufacturers analyze process data, identify potential problems earlier, optimize production, and improve consistency.

Together, these technologies are creating new possibilities for moving promising concepts from the laboratory into scalable production.

4. Sustainable Healthcare Materials and Manufacturing

Healthcare products must meet demanding requirements for safety, sterility, reliability, and performance. At the same time, manufacturers are facing growing pressure to consider environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle.

Industry experts will address design for sustainability, circularity, and lifecycle management for healthcare products.

Topics include recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and circular economy strategies for medical plastics. These discussions are particularly important as companies consider how material selection, manufacturing methods, packaging, product use, and end-of-life strategies interact.

The program will also explore microplastics, including their environmental impact, potential sources, and mitigation strategies related to healthcare materials.

The challenge is not simply to use less material. It is to find practical ways to increase sustainability while continuing to meet the stringent performance and patient-safety requirements of healthcare applications.

5. Regulatory Compliance, Testing, and Standards

Innovation in medical polymers must ultimately operate within an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

Attendees will also learn about biocompatibility testing, material characterization, and performance evaluation, critical activities for understanding whether materials will perform safely and reliably in their intended applications.

Regulatory discussions will include evolving requirements and standards involving ISO 10993, the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR), PFAS, and related regulatory considerations.

Understanding these developments early can help engineering teams make better material and design decisions before regulatory issues become expensive development problems.

Where Materials, Manufacturing, Devices, and Regulation Meet

What makes MiniTec particularly valuable is the opportunity to look beyond any single technical discipline.

Developing a successful medical product requires understanding how materials, product design, manufacturing processes, sustainability, testing, and regulatory requirements interact. A promising polymer must be manufacturable. A manufacturing innovation must deliver consistent quality. A new device must satisfy patient needs. And every innovation must ultimately demonstrate safety and performance.

The SPE Medical Plastics Division MiniTec Conference brings these conversations together in one place.

The October 28 program will feature experts addressing five major areas: advanced medical polymers; next-generation medical devices and therapeutic delivery; manufacturing innovations and process control; regulatory compliance and testing; and sustainability and lifecycle considerations.

Importantly, MiniTec provides an opportunity to connect with colleagues and experts working on many of the same technical and business challenges across the medical plastics industry.

Join Us at Medical Polymer MiniTec 2026

Whether you work in materials science, medical device development, manufacturing, quality, regulatory affairs, sustainability, research, or product development, MiniTec offers an opportunity to explore the technologies and ideas influencing the next generation of healthcare.

Medical Polymer MiniTec Conference at MD&M Midwest
October 28, 2026 | 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CDT

Explore the MiniTec 2026 event page for conference information, the full schedule, program materials, and registration.

Come learn how polymers are enabling safer products, smarter manufacturing, new therapies, and the future of modern healthcare.

ANTEC 2026

Posted on March 19, 2026April 7, 2026 by Theresa Shafer

SPE’s premier technical conference, to explore the forefront of plastics technologies, polymer research, and innovative processes. More than 450 professional from around the world for two and half days of technical sessions and networking.

Milad Azami’s popular presentation “3D-Printed TPU Composites and Foams with Triboelectric Properties for Smart Knee Implants”.

MPD Speakers with moderator, Marshall Allen.

Biopolymers & Renewable Technologies Division Speakers with BRT Div. Chair, Shilpa Manjure.

Ned passing the leadership keys to Chris Lyons at the annual meeting after the ANTEC sessions.

Fellows of the Society Award

Dr. Pierre Mouline is an industry-based researcher. Dr. Pierre Moulinie is primarily an industry-based researcher. He developed transparent blends of PC with other polymers, led research to create high gloss PC/polyester blends with reactive additives and to stabilize PC/polyester blends, developed new PC materials for multiple medical applications, and is currently leading the development of medical grade PC materials for improved performance and for use with electronics-containing products.

Dr. Ramani Narayan, along with Pierre were elected to the ranks of Fellows of the Society.

SPE MPD Honors Len Czuba with Glenn Beall Founders Award

Posted on February 16, 2026February 19, 2026 by Theresa Shafer

By Ned LeMaster

The Society of Plastics Engineers’ Medical Plastics Division (SPE MPD) recently recognized Len Czuba with its prestigious Glenn Beall Founders Award, honoring a career defined by technical excellence, industry leadership, and unwavering service to the medical device community.

This award, named in honor of Glenn Beall, celebrates individuals whose contributions have helped shape and strengthen SPE MPD and the broader medical plastics field. Len’s selection reflects decades of impact as an engineer, educator, innovator, and mentor.

For more than four decades, Len Czuba has been a leading voice in medical device materials and manufacturing. As President of Czuba Enterprises, he has guided hundreds of companies from early concept through commercialization, helping teams navigate material selection, processing challenges, regulatory requirements, and risk management.

His work spans:

Medical-grade polymers and biomaterials
Injection molding and extrusion optimization
Design-for-manufacturing in regulated environments
Failure analysis and expert witness services
Patent development and intellectual property strategy

Through this work, Len has helped transform promising ideas into safe, reliable, and scalable medical products.

Leadership Within SPE MPD

Beyond his technical achievements, Len’s long-standing commitment to SPE has been central to his legacy.

Over the years, he has served in multiple leadership roles, including Medical Plastics Division Chair and SPE International President. He has also been a consistent presence at conferences, workshops, and training programs—sharing practical insights grounded in real-world experience.

His contributions include:

Organizing and supporting educational programs
Mentoring early-career engineers
Promoting ethical and professional standards
Strengthening collaboration across industry, academia, and consulting

For many members, Len has been both a trusted resource and a steady advocate for excellence.

Advancing Education and Knowledge

Len is widely recognized as one of the field’s most effective educators. Through seminars, articles, courses, and conference presentations, he has helped thousands of professionals deepen their understanding of medical plastics.

His teaching style combines:

Clear technical fundamentals
Real-world case studies
Regulatory and risk-awareness
Practical problem-solving frameworks

This blend has made his sessions invaluable to engineers, product managers, quality leaders, and executives alike.

Why the Glenn Beall Founders Award Matters

Glenn Beall was more than a founding member—he was a mentor, innovator, and tireless advocate for the advancement of medical plastics. This award ensures that his legacy continues to inspire excellence and service within our community. The Glenn Beall Founders Award is one of SPE MPD’s highest honors. It recognizes individuals who:

Demonstrate sustained leadership
Advance the medical plastics profession
Support the growth of the SPE community
Inspire future generations

Len’s career embodies each of these values. His influence extends far beyond individual projects—shaping how medical devices are designed, built, validated, and improved across the industry.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

Len Czuba’s career reflects what is possible when deep technical mastery is combined with generosity, integrity, and commitment to community. Whether advising startups, supporting global manufacturers, or mentoring young engineers, he has consistently raised the standard for the profession.

On behalf of the medical plastics community, SPE MPD proudly congratulates Len on receiving the Glenn Beall Founders Award.

His work continues to inspire—and his legacy will benefit our field for generations to come.