Cutting-Edge Devices Debut in Deutschland

Ask and ye shall receive.

Organizers of Medica 2012 World Forum for Medicine urged participants to “be part of the No. 1” during the four-day event, and they overwhelmingly obliged. Preliminary data indicate that 130,600 visitors and 4,554 exhibitors heeded Messe Düsseldorf GmbH’s motto during the four-day show (Nov. 14-17) in Düsseldorf, Germany. Though the numbers are down from last year, Messe executives claim more top-level decision-makers attended last week’s event: Ninety-three percent of the total number of visitors had decision-making competence.

“Medica is a true reflection of the market,” noted Joachim Schäfer, Messe Düsseldorf managing director. “Tight healthcare system budgets worldwide prompt more commercial departments and sickness funds to intervene in investment decisions. Furthermore, the purchasing power in hospital associations and chains centers on fewer top decision makers. With new event formats such as the Medica Econ Forum, the re-oriented Medica Health IT forum, the English-speaking seminars at the Medica Tech Forum or target-group specific themed campaigns, we directly address the decision-makers that count in exhibitors’ eyes. Because exhibitors want class rather than mass at their stands.”

Class may have superseded mass at many of the exhibiting company stands, but there was still plenty of curiosity seekers at booths that showcased innovative products or services at the event. Among the most inventive were:

• Software from Deutsche Telekom that can detect falls. Particularly useful for older people who live alone, the software can determine whether a person is merely stooping down to pick up an object or he has fallen and needs help. The software also can determine whether the situation is an emergency, and immediately informs a 24-hour control center via a DSL or LTE connection. Bonn, Germany-based Deutsche Telekom also unveiled Fitbit, a small, wireless activity tracker, and Runtastic, a smartphone app that measures heart rate.
• A new way to control anesthesia and detect potential erroneous doses. The VaporView function on the Perseus A500 workstation from Dragerwerk AG & Co. visualizes calculated current and presumable concentration of both the inspiration and expiration gas and the expiration of gas of the last 10 minutes on a monitor. The function, according to the company, enables the anesthesiologist to better estimate the anesthetic gas concentration.
• A networking solution from Philips Healthcare that automatically monitors proper defibrillator function. If the company’s SmartConnect device is removed from a defibrillator, the communication system directly triggers a rescue chain, offering first responders a hands-free connection to an emergency center. SmartLink, the device’s associated communication module, is located in the defibrillator bag and supplies its own power.
• A new device that treats middle ear infections and ear pain. Eardoc model 4055 features six digitally controlled vibration frequencies to maximize patient comfort, and it uses the body’s own mechanism to treat and heal the infection or source of pain. The handheld device from Kencap Ltd. is lightweight, easy to use and runs on two AA batteries.
• A short-wave diathermic device from São Paulo, Brazil-based Ibramed produces electrical and magnetic fields that helps relax muscles, reduce swelling and repairs tissue.
• A child-friendly compressor nebulizer system from Philips Respironics that helps treat asthma and bronchitis. The aerosol therapy device is completely housed in the body of a seal (named Sammy); a “Tucker the Turtle” facemask is available for babies and children who may have trouble using Sammy’s mouthpiece. The facemask is made from a soft, flexible material that adapts to facial contours.
• Ear drum molds inspired by a design technique used to create aerodynamic parts for race cars. The mold technique, developed by United Kingdom-based DTR Medical, use a graft of flesh taken from behind the ear to create a new eardrum.
• A system that keeps donor organs functioning outside the body. Developed by Andover, Mass.-based TransMedics Inc., the Organ Care System (OCS) keeps hearts beating and lungs breathing in a body-like environment, according to the company. The organ function constantly is monitored and can be improved if necessary. The OCS technology currently is undergoing trials.
• A James Bond-inspired watch that can save lives. The timepiece from Swiss manufacturer Limmex has a built-in mobile phone and SIM card; in medical emergencies, the wearer presses a button that calls a list of predefined telephone numbers (e.g., a doctor or family member) in a fixed order until someone answers. The patient can relay his or her emergency through a microphone installed in the watch and request help.