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Ausg.Nr._22/2017
COMPAMED
T
he trend towards person-
alised medical care, de-
mographic developments
and digitalisation constitutes an
important driver towards techno-
logical advances in the fields of
medical technology and health-
care. Health policies and cost
pressures are also pushing pro-
gress forward.
The field of medical technology
has in particular given the micro-
technology industry a huge boost
with its demand for correspond-
ing solutions. Nearly two-thirds
of micro-technology companies in
Europe supply products, technolo-
gies and services to the medical
technology and healthcare sec-
tors … they represent the most
important sales market for almost
20% of these firms. The share of
companies that supply primarily
to the market for medical technol-
ogy will increase by another 5% in
the next three years. This is what
the IVAM Fachverband für Mik-
rotechnik (IVAM Association for
Microtechnology) has found in its
annual survey of economic data
from companies and research in-
stitutions operating in the field of
microtechnology in Europe.
Microtechnology will therefore
also be playing a major role at
the COMPAMED 2017, which is the
leading international trade fair
for supplies to the medical-man-
ufacturing sector. It will be taking
place in Düsseldorf alongside the
MEDICA 2017 – the world's lead-
ing medical trade fair – from 13
to 16 November. “Besides digital
transformation that has affected
all sectors, the miniaturisation of
components for creating increas-
ingly handier and lighter product
applications also constitutes an
overarching technology trend,”
says Jwoachim Schäfer, Managing
Director at the Messe Düsseldorf.
Since its launch 25 years ago,
COMPAMED has developed into
the No. 1 platform for suppliers to
the medical technology industry
and will this year again be count-
ing almost 800 exhibitors in Halls
8a and 8b (MEDICA: approximately
5,000 exhibitors) at Düsseldorf's
exhibition centre.
The ‘High-tech for Medical De-
vices’ product market with around
700 square metres and more than
50 companies and institutions
(Hall 8a) is again fully booked
and is being organised as in every
year by the IVAM Fachverband für
Mikrotechnik as a special show-
case for microsystems destined for
medical technology applications.
Measuring blood pressure
without cuffs
One important application is the
field of so-called ‘wearables’, mo-
bile, almost entirely concealed
and very comfortable systems for
recording and analysing vital pa-
rameters in everyday situations
and transferring them to medical
experts. The continuous recording
of so-called peripheral photop-
lethysmograms will in future pro-
vide valuable information about a
person's health. The information
recorded includes the pulse and
arterial oxygen saturation, heart-
rate variability, respiratory rates
and data about vascular stiffness
and signs of rising or falling blood
pressures. Elevated blood pres-
sure is currently one of the most
serious risk factors for cardiovas-
cular disease which – according
to the Deutsche Hochdruckliga
(German Hypertension League) –
affects around 35 million people
in Germany alone. The disease is
often detected too late because its
symptoms are not always appar-
ent. The consequences are in par-
ticular stroke, heart disease, kid-
ney failure and dementia. Against
this backdrop, the possibility of
tracking blood pressure continu-
ously without the need for cuffs is
one of the most important innova-
tions at this year's COMPAMED. A
team of scientists around project
manager Dr Hans-Georg Ortlepp
at the CiS Forschungsinstitut für
Mikrosensorik (CiS Research In-
stitute for Microsensors) devel-
oped the sensor for this applica-
tion along with the sophisticated
method of analysis.
Administering active ingre-
dients into instead of under the
skin
The Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft
für angewandte Forschung (Hahn-
Schickard Association for Applied
Research) has also dedicated
itself intensively to researching,
developing and manufacturing
in the field of technology for mi-
crosystems. It cooperates with the
Verapido Medical GmbH spin-off
in the development and produc-
tion of equipment, systems and
technologies that allow active in-
gredients to be administered into
instead of under the skin. Active
ingredients that are injected into
the skin are also able to influ-
ence the immune system more
efficiently and specifically. “Clini-
cal studies have shown that up to
90% of the injected dose can be
saved with intradermal adminis-
tration while achieving the same
or even better effect than inject-
ing into muscle,” emphasised Dr
Markus Clemenz, Managing Di-
rector at Verapido Medical.
CorTec is going to be exhibiting
at the COMPAMED for the second
time. This young company that
specialises in medical technology
is working on the next generation
of active implants.
Its patented ‘AirRay’ electrode
technology has enabled CorTec to
overcome the current limitations
when working with electrodes
through innovative and highly
precise manufacturing conditions.
The world of small and smallest
solutions for medical technol-
ogy therefore remains a subject
that will remain important to the
COMPAMED in Düsseldorf and,
as previously, it is also going to
be presented and explored within
the scope of the IVAM's COM-
PAMED HIGHTEC FORUM in Hall
8a. Besides microsystems tech-
nology, the focus this year will be
on nanotechnologies, production
technologies and process control.
Specialists will also be presenting
parallel talks about current devel-
opments along the entire process
chain of medical technology at the
COMPAMED SUPPLIERS FORUM,
which is being organised by the
DeviceMed magazine in Hall 8b.
This year, the event will be focus-
ing on digitalisation, wearables,
3D printing and regulations.
Text & Bild:
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Postfach 10 10 06
D-40001 Düsseldorf
Medical technology is the most
important market for micro systems