If you’re heading to Compamed 2018, the Medical Plastics News team has put together a guide of five things that you might want to keep an eye out for at this year’s show.
Medical implants
At the Compamed Spring convention, 45 participants discussed four different areas of implants for medical technology – suggesting implants will be a key trend for this year’s show.
Crucially, the organisers expect a greater interest this year in ‘active implants’ which are implants fitted with a power source.
One company showcasing such a device is CorTec, which has developed an implant for measuring and stimulating brain activity for long-term use. Its ‘brain interchange’ concept records and stimulates the nervous system and evaluates brain signals in real-time to determine the level of stimulation required.
3D printing
On the opening day of the show, there will be an entire session of the high-tech forum dedicated to 3D printed diagnostics as well as printed electronics. A total of seven speakers will feature, with the keynote address delivered by Elmar Kempe from Coatema Coating Machinery, a firm which offers equipment and research and development for coating, printing and laminating plants. The focus of the talk will be on advanced roll-to-roll manufacturing technologies for medical applications.
3D printing is a rapidly growing field in medtech – growing faster than in any other field of application thanks to technological progress, along with an increase in private investment.
RFID
The list of exhibitors this year indicates that RFID chips or variations of them are likely to be a big subject. These including Feig Electronic, who have solutions which can help the healthcare industry to identify medical devices and accessories that “depict the consumption of medication and reagents, thus improving patient care and safety,” while RFID-based technology can monitor the stock levels of various medical materials in hospitals or medical centres.
Networking
The show is always a good place to not only explore product ranges but also to develop relationships with like-minded people from the same sector, pick their brains about product development and discover what has worked, and what hasn’t, for others. There are several forums including: the high-tech forum covering smart sensor solutions, microfluidics and laser and photonic applications, as well as the suppliers forum, which will cover regulation and its impact globally.
Forums
It’s not just about showcasing products but the possibility of hearing what industry leaders have to say at various talks and forums. One example includes the 3D fab+print Additive Manufacturing Conference. Cécile Boudot from Evonik will offer thoughts on how additive manufacturing is capable of building complex shapes, while Laura Kastenmayer from Trumpf will explain why the medtech industry should take a closer look at metal powder bed melting.