Developments from the suppliers deliver valuable stimuli for the technical world, as the final report of the “COMPAMED” says. Based on the report; It’s been a well-known secret for ages: Anyone that wants to know what the future holds in store in terms of innovation in medical care should take a look at the new products and achievements of the suppliers of the medical technology industry. They are providing valuable technological inspiration, react quickly to trends and offer their industrial partners high-tech solutions that are made to measure.
This was confirmed once more at the COMPAMED in Düsseldorf, the international leading trade fair for the medical technology supplier sector. COMPAMED, which is always held alongside the world’s biggest medical trade fair MEDICA, was on top form once more this year (run time for 2018: 12 – 15 November). Halls 8a and 8b of the Düsseldorf trade fair centre were completely full, holding 783 exhibitors from 40 countries (making this COMPAMED more international than ever before). Once more, COMPAMED saw 20,000 professional visitors, which put the cherry on the cake.
The business field peripheral to COMPAMED is also experiencing a positive boost: According to the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI), turnover for German medical technology providers grew by 2.5% in 2017, to almost 30 billion Euro, with the foreign market constituting almost 19 billion Euro. The number of employees in this segment also grew by 3.9%, to 137,900. Every single trade association assumes that it will experience further growth for the current year and for 2019, which could even be up to 6% when considered globally. Medical technology suppliers will also benefit from this. A quick tour through the COMPAMED halls showed that their business is also soaring due to trends and figures that are actually not particularly positive…
Around the world, the number of people with high blood pressure is increasing further – one in every three people in the world now has high blood pressure. Due to this, millions have cardiovascular disease, which is among the most common causes of death. As high blood pressure is often symptomless, having blood pressure taken regularly is very useful in diagnosing it. Considering this, the CiS Forschungsinstitut für Mikrosensorik GmbH (CiS Research Institute for Microsensors) has developed a non-invasive method for monitoring blood pressure via the ear. This is based on an optical sensor which was created based on methods which analyse pulse waves. Here, visible or infrared light is emitted into the skin and the reflected component is measured. The levels of intensity recorded enable conclusions to be drawn on blood pressure fluctuations in the skin. This compact sensor system is worn inside the ear (in the auricle) and is adapted to the individual. “Now, we can determine blood pressure at specific times and also provide continuous monitoring of fluctuations in blood pressure” remarked Andreas Albrecht, Project Engineer at CiS, with delight. The data on the blood pressure trend are determined via a patented mathematical algorithm. The researchers from Ilmenau are now simply seeking an entrepreneur who will bring their development onto the market. The potential here is huge, as this new method is far more precise than the classic blood pressure cuff.
The trend for miniaturisation continues
The Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) is also following the trend for miniaturising medical technology. Endoscopes can be fitted with a special microsystem (an array of ultrasonic transducers). With this support, it is possible to stimulate diseased tissue both locally and selectively, in order to supply medication in a better and more targeted manner. This means that treatments with a large range of potential side effects can be done away with. Currently, this conservative endoscopic procedure is being used in the fight against colon and prostate cancer or to treat myoma. ENAS is working on minimally invasive, miniaturised, capacitive ultrasonic transducers for microendoscopy in this sector. “We want to use our method, which functions using a similar method to hyperthermic therapy for specific types of cancer, to improve the therapeutic applications”, said Andreas Morschhauser, of the Department for Multi-Device Integration at ENAS. The objective here is to eliminate tumours with therapy that is less harsh on the patient, through membrane stimulation and increasing the metabolism of the pathological cells.
Flow sensors that can even detect heartbeat
Trends such as patient-friendly point-of-care applications, improving patient compliance, complex administration of medication and wearable device design mean that smart medical devices need to be developed. Sensirion, one of the leading manufacturers of digital microsensors and systems, presented new flow sensors in the LD20 series for high-volume applications in medical technology at COMPAMED 2018, among other elements, to support these trends. “This sensor enables bidirectional measurement of flow rates of a few millilitres per hour up to 1000 ml/h and can simultaneously detect typical issues such as occlusion, free flow or air bubbles with unprecedented speed and sensitivity”, commented Barbara Thurnherr, who is Project Leader for Marketing and Communication at Sensirion. Thanks to Sensirion’s CMOSens technology, the LD20 is sensitive enough to detect even the slightest change in the flow rate. This means that the sensor can even detect the oscillating back pressure of the patient’s venous pulse; in other words, it can feel the patient’s heartbeat. Detecting the heartbeat on the flow rate is a direct indication that there is an intact connection between the infusion cannula and the vein of the patient. The LD20 series enables medication administration to be measured precisely and in real time, which means that therapies elicit better treatment results and safety, effectiveness and reliability are all improved, which benefits patients and medical staff alike.
Problem-free MRIs with new implants
Active implants such as pacemakers, neurostimulators or medicine pumps are increasing in number. This means that requirements for them to be MRI compatible are also becoming more prevalent. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is supporting the MRI-compatible implant joint project (MR-Implant) with almost two million Euro. This project focuses on researching and developing an electronic neural implant system. The coordinator of the joint project is CorTec, a company which has already presented electrodes and its Brain Interchange technology at COMPAMED in the past. “Ultimately, the end goal is a neural implant system which is safe and has expanded functions, which will enable MRI diagnosis to be carried out on patients wearing the implant for the first time”, stated Dr. Fabian Kohler, Head of Reliability Engineering at CorTec. The company’s system primarily targets conditions such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy and strokes. The implant systems will exchange data at high speeds, record neural activity and also provide stimuli. Simultaneously, they must enable the patient to undergo MRI investigation without causing any issues. “Today, we are still seeing problems caused by the heating effects, currents and artifacts: we want to change this”, said Kohler. The MRI-compatible implant project has been underway since March 2018 and will run for three years.
High-quality products need proper packaging
In addition to microsystems and sensors which come with a wide variety of shapes and characteristics, sophisticated packaging solutions are always a prime point of interest at COMPAMED. Inpac Medizintechnik is a one-stop service provider for cleaning, assembly, packaging and sterilisation of medical products. “Our mission is to create tailor-made solutions for our customers while working under our motto: ‘All from one source’”, said Dr. Ralph Hermann, the CEO of inpac. High-quality products such as bone screws, stents and implants require suitable packaging. Inpac works across 1,700 square metres of clean room space which complies with ISO Class 7. In addition, each packaged product is examined under an illuminated magnifier. Ten percent of the staff are engineers and scientists, who are primarily focused on the validation process. The simulation of the entire process is becoming more and more important. Here, transport, mechanical durability and ageing. Additional requirements also result from a new definition of cleanliness which expands the scope of the previous definition considerably, including bacteria, particles, endotoxins (by-products from bacteria), cytotoxic substances and chemicals. Inpac is ready to take on these challenges.
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