Smart medical technology is waiting in the wings: COMPAMED 2018 showed marketable innovations

The COMPAMED, which took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, co-located to the MEDICA medical technology trade fair from November 12-15, proved to be more international than ever before: this was true for the entire fair, which brought together exhibitors from 40 nations, as well as for the largest joint booth on-site, the Product Market by the IVAM Microtechnology Network: On more than 700 m², international exhibitors from 10 nations presented innovative products and services.

As in previous years, digitalization was omnipresent on the Product Market and at the COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM, also organized by IVAM. This year, however, a particularly large number of exhibitors came to the fair with application and success stories.

Most of the smart components are now being used in marketable products. Especially impressive were the presentations at the individual booths and on the forum stage, which gave a fascinating outlook on the future of medical care by means of smart systems. Innovative, miniaturized sensors, for example, are capable of measuring vital signs comfortably in everyday life and thus recognize and treat cardiovascular diseases at an early stage.

Concepts and products were introduced at the fair, which integrate these measuring units into everyday objects such as in smartphones, sportswear, car seats or in novel miniature gauges that can be worn in the ear.

Other hot topics at the Product Market have been materials for novel coatings that can improve medical devices or implants in terms of compatibility, accuracy, reliability, and durability, microfluidic systems for fast and reliable diagnostic procedures, and optics and photonics applications for laser-based medical device manufacturing processes.

The accompanying COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM has established itself as an international meeting place for experts and was accepted thankfully again this year: More than 300 visitors gathered information and discussed with the speakers during a total of 10 sessions on all four days of the fair.

The sessions on “Smart Sensor Solutions” and a session in cooperation with the organizers of the EU-funded project “PoC-ID – A Platform for Ultra-sensitive Point-of-Care Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases” were particularly well attended. It deals with the development of a point-of-care system for the diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in the pediatric context.

The COMPAMED was worthwhile for the exhibitors of the IVAM Product Market. The companies and institutes were highly satisfied with the visitors at their booths. One week after the end of the fair, the majority of them is sure to participate again in 2019. Information on the IVAM Product Market “High-tech for Medical Devices” at COMPAMED 2019 can be found on the internet via http://www.ivam.de/events/compamed_2019

https://www.ivam.de/news/PM_COMPAMED2018_smarte_medizintechnik_steht_in_den_star…
http://www.ivam.de/events/compamed_2019