Medical technology has accelerated greatly as compounding complementary technologies enables new manufacturing processes. One place to see this on full display is Compamed, an annual medical technology (Medtech) conference that happens in Düsseldorf, Germany, from November 14th to 17th.
Compamed is one of the largest medical trade fairs and conferences in the medical sector. This year, more than 81,000 visitors representing various sectors of the global MedTech and healthcare industries industry came to the conference, including Accumold.
Here were a few themes from this year’s conference.
Medtech connectors
It may not be sexy, but the entire medical sector comes to a halt without connectivity. This year at Compamed new approaches to transmitting energy, sending and receiving signals, and data transfer technology was a theme. As Medtech becomes more connected, data reliability is a focus.
Versatility
This year, versatility was a noticeable theme. Medtech solutions ranged from a diverse set of components. New approaches to hose design, pump and values engineering, and even wires and screws. The material used for these components were varied as well including metals, alloys, plastics, resins, silicone, and ceramic.
High-performance materials are more accessible and more advanced than ever before.
3D printing and manufacturing processes in medtech
Printing, both in metal and plastics and full electronic solutions was also a theme. “3D printers” are becoming more sophisticated not just in resolution, they can handle, but the wide diversity of materials they can utilize. This means a wider spectrum of medtech components today are coming from a printer. At COMPAMED, the latest methods and technologies were on display in a Medtech setting.
Speaker Highlights at Compamed
Next-Gen Brain-Computer Interfaces Prof. Surjo R. Soekadar from Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, DE spoke on using brain-computer interfaces for the restoration of brain function.
Technologies for Neurological Applications
Dr. Martin Schüttler from CoreTec GmbH, Freiburg, DE spoke on new approaches and technology for general brain and neurological applications.
Materials and Treatments In Components for Neurological Applications
Dr. Cacie McDorman from Sandvik Materials Technology, Palm Coast, US spoke on the impact of materials, surface treatments and operations in manufacturing wire-based components for neurological applications in medicine.