Report from Medica & CompaMed 2010: Medical Device Suppliers Seeing Market Improvement

After the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, the micro-technology, nanotechnology and new materials sectors in Europe have seen business increase, according to a report from the COMPAMED trade show—held in conjunction with the MEDICA show in Dusseldorf, Germany, from Nov. 17-20.

According to IVAM, the professional association of micro-technology, the business in the first half of 2010 was better then expected for half of the German companies in this sector. In some cases, companies posted sales increases of up to 15 percent.

During the event, which organizers claim is the world’s largest medical technology event. MEDICA attracted 4,439 exhibitors (a record, show organizers said) from 66 countries, while COMPAMED—which is focused on medical technology product and service suppliers—has more than 500 companies from about 25 countries exhibiting.

“Demand has been slow in the North American and European medical technology markets of late, but exports are bouncing back now, especially for German manufacturers,” said Horst Giesen, a project leader at Messe Dusseldorf, which runs the MEDICA and COMPAMED events. An uptick in exhibits and registered attendees is a good sign of market improvement, Giesen said.

A number of interesting technologies from a variety of companies, associations and research organizations will be showcased throughout the four-day event.

One interesting technology highlighted early on the first day of COMPAMED was medical sensors.

CiS, a non-profit research institute for micro-sensor technology in Erfurt, Germany, presented an in-ear sensor system for measuring vital signs, which the group said is a novel solution for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.

In contrast to conventional, localized measurement of relevant vital signs (pulse, heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate), the miniaturized system would be similar in size (not in function) to an in-the-ear hearing aid. The device would allow continuous measurement of vital signs without the inconvenience of conventional, portable devices and the restriction of movement they cause. The “heart” of the system is an optical sensor chip that, via two wavelengths, measures the volume of blood and the oxygen saturation in the outer ear canal, which is especially suitable due to the high density of blood vessels. In addition, the heart and pulse rates are extracted from the low-frequency signal fluctuations by means of signal processing.

The system won the 2010 Innovation Award endowed by AMA, the German association for sensor technology.

“The solution shows that only the combination of sensor technology and measuring technology provides convincing results,” said Thomas Simmons, managing director of the AMA. “In addition to monitoring vital sign, CiS develops and manufactures sensors for measuring blood sugar levels and catheter-tip forces.”

For smaller, less-invasive monitoring technology similar to that developed by CiS, a natural next step is the connection to telemedicine and off-site patient monitoring.

Intelligent assistance systems offer the potential for millions of dollars in savings in healthcare and nursing. According to BCC Research, based in Wellesley, Mass., the global market for telemedicine systems will reach approximately $15 billion annually by 2012.

According to figures reported during MEDICA, initial studies show that the cost of care for the more than 1.8 million patients with chronic cardiac insufficiency could be reduced by 30 percent annually with the use of telemonitoring. Telemonitoring systems consist of medical sensors and other components for measuring and transmitting vital parameters. This market, COMPAMED organizers said, provides material, component and system suppliers greater opportunity to specialize.