FEATURE MEDICAL ELECTRONICS SUPPLEMENT Five key drivers of the MedTech market
Rob Phillips, Managing Director of Accutronics explores some of the latest trends you can expect to see in 2015 for the next generation of medical devices
Until now, the western world has
dominated medical technology, with the majority of intellectual property belonging to European and North American companies. Lately there has been a power shift in the MedTech industry and the Asian market, specifically China, is booming, with growth expected to continue over the next few years. Thanks to a growing Chinese middle
class there are hundreds of millions of new patients, creating a significant demand for high tech devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators and insulin pumps. 2015 will see the trend for European and North American MedTech OEMs begin to establish a more permanent presence in Asian and Far Eastern economies to secure and win market share of the premium industry sector.
M
edical technology (MedTech) is one of the world’s fastest growing
industries and the latest and most exciting innovations were recently explored at COMPAMED, the international medical trade show. Accutronics launched its latest smart- battery range at the trade show, providing a versatile solution for the demands of portable medical devices.
1. RISING POWER AND ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
The last decade has borne witness to rapid innovation in the medical market. Devices have become smaller and as a result, smarter and more intricate components are increasingly in demand. However, there is now an increased demand for mobile technology used in hospitals and in the field, including acute ventilators, portable anaesthesia workstations and intra-oral scanners. 2015 will see a trend for portable, battery-powered medical devices delivering high power discharge from batteries with high energy densities used in mobile hospital setups and emergency services use.
2. SECURITY IN MEDTECH Copycat batteries are now available at
S10 FEBRUARY 2015 | ELECTRONICS
the click of a button. These, often grey market and sometimes outright illegally produced, knockoffs are now spreading via improved logistics and global supply chain networks. The problem is that copycat batteries often mimic big name brands but lack the certification, testing and even vital circuitry that protects lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries from unpredictable failure, overheating and potentially exploding. Battery original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) as well as consumer brands including Nokia and Kodak have already taken action to protect their lucrative aftermarket from reputational damage by introducing security measures such as hologram labels and traceable invisible ink markings on devices. 2015 will see companies push further
into securing their products. Accutronics has already made headway into improved security by making available a hardware- embedded software algorithm (SHA-1) which can identify and isolate fake batteries, stopping them from being used in critical-care devices. This also provides better batch traceability and deters fraudulent warranty claims.
3. WESTERN OEMS COMPETING TO WIN ASIAN MARKET SHARE
Figure 1:
Smart battery aimed at high powered medical devices from Accutronics
4. FRINGE TECHNOLOGIES Having gained traction in the consumer electronics sector, wireless, or inductive charging, to give it its full name, will begin trials in many MedTech devices in 2015. One of the vulnerable areas of rechargeable medical devices to date has been the connection made between the charging port and the mains AC power supply. 2015 will see more medical OEMs explore the use of inductive charging to improve device IP (ingress protection) ratings.
5. ANTI-MICROBIAL SURFACES Antibiotic resistance–when bacteria change so antibiotics no longer work in people who need them to treat infections–is now a major threat to public health." 2015 will see OEMs begin to widely
consider the role of antimicrobial polymers and coatings for use in device mouldings, casings and on touchable surfaces to minimise the spread of superbugs such as MRSA and other multidrug resistant microorganisms.
Accutronics
www.accutronics.co.uk 01782 566622
Enter 211 / ELECTRONICS
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