Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief11.13.23
For virtually everyone in the U.S., November marks the beginning of winter, shorter days, decreasing temperatures, and Thanksgiving. For those involved with medical device development and manufacturing, it’s also the month for the Medica and CompaMed trade shows in Dusseldorf, Germany. While last year’s event seemed to bring the crowd’s back following the COVID-induced hiatus, this year may be a more true return to form.
With this in mind, I reached out to a number of companies who will be exhibiting at the show to find out directly from them what they are showing off or focusing on at the event, what challenges customers have brought them, and where they see their role within the industry in aiding medical device manufacturers. Tackling these questions as well as a couple others, Ben Trombold, vice president of sales & marketing at Velentium, shared a few insights to help you determine if the firm should be a potential services partner for you in 2024 or beyond.
Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?
Ben Trombold: Velentium now has a fully configurable, documented, and proven modular platform for active implantable devices. We can customize the technical specifications to include the following:
Fenske: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Trombold: There is no common challenge across all the projects we work on with our clients, but to succeed, we ask our clients the hard questions first. What technology sets your device apart from the competition? What are the non-negotiable parameters we must meet for the device to succeed? Many companies can write proper firmware or do industrial design, but there aren't many who can tackle power requirements for an AIMD when OTS batteries don't cut it; design a custom wireless protocol if BLE won't get the job done; integrate cybersecurity, manufacturability, and testability right from the beginning; and support clients from concept all the way through commercialization and postmarket support.
Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
Trombold: Ensure you are comparing all deliverables of a project between potential partners. Engineering time is only one aspect of a project. Not only should the design work be completed, but design controls need to be woven into the process, and the proper documentation must also be delivered. Hiring a "build to order" contractor can be risky. Often, it costs less in the long run to partner with a CDMO that understands the whole process and is looking out for its customers' best interests.
Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Trombold: Scalability, expertise, and speed. At Velentium, we have more than 100 engineers on staff spanning nine engineering disciplines. Our SMEs have over 30 decades of combined medical device experience. We can help you tackle the tough engineering problems and ensure your device is designed, built, and documented for a successful regulatory submission.
Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
Trombold: As a company, Velentium has completed over 400 neuromodulation, 150 active implantable, and 50 diabetes projects. We have also worked with over 50 FDA-approved customers. The volume of experience our engineers have ensures your design and manufacturing project will not succumb to the common pitfalls that can plague other devices.
Velentium is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8B, Booth/Stand L13.
With this in mind, I reached out to a number of companies who will be exhibiting at the show to find out directly from them what they are showing off or focusing on at the event, what challenges customers have brought them, and where they see their role within the industry in aiding medical device manufacturers. Tackling these questions as well as a couple others, Ben Trombold, vice president of sales & marketing at Velentium, shared a few insights to help you determine if the firm should be a potential services partner for you in 2024 or beyond.
Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?
Ben Trombold: Velentium now has a fully configurable, documented, and proven modular platform for active implantable devices. We can customize the technical specifications to include the following:
- Sense, stim, or closed loop
- 1-32 channels
- Primary cell, rechargeable, or batteryless power
- BLE, inductive, or MedRadio communications
- Custom remotes and programmers
- Android & iOS apps
- Custom leads up to 640 channels
- Paddle, ring, or helical cuff electrodes
- Sur-Set Connect low-volume, fine-pitch lead connector blocks
- Device sizes as small as 5 cc
Fenske: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Trombold: There is no common challenge across all the projects we work on with our clients, but to succeed, we ask our clients the hard questions first. What technology sets your device apart from the competition? What are the non-negotiable parameters we must meet for the device to succeed? Many companies can write proper firmware or do industrial design, but there aren't many who can tackle power requirements for an AIMD when OTS batteries don't cut it; design a custom wireless protocol if BLE won't get the job done; integrate cybersecurity, manufacturability, and testability right from the beginning; and support clients from concept all the way through commercialization and postmarket support.
Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
Trombold: Ensure you are comparing all deliverables of a project between potential partners. Engineering time is only one aspect of a project. Not only should the design work be completed, but design controls need to be woven into the process, and the proper documentation must also be delivered. Hiring a "build to order" contractor can be risky. Often, it costs less in the long run to partner with a CDMO that understands the whole process and is looking out for its customers' best interests.
Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Trombold: Scalability, expertise, and speed. At Velentium, we have more than 100 engineers on staff spanning nine engineering disciplines. Our SMEs have over 30 decades of combined medical device experience. We can help you tackle the tough engineering problems and ensure your device is designed, built, and documented for a successful regulatory submission.
Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
Trombold: As a company, Velentium has completed over 400 neuromodulation, 150 active implantable, and 50 diabetes projects. We have also worked with over 50 FDA-approved customers. The volume of experience our engineers have ensures your design and manufacturing project will not succumb to the common pitfalls that can plague other devices.
Velentium is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8B, Booth/Stand L13.