Highlights from MD&M West 2022 (i.e., IME West)

While it seemed like a much longer time, only eight months had passed since IME West (or as many who have been attending for years still refer to it—MD&M West) took place in August 2021. That event, while still a good showing, felt more like a dry run for how in-person events would begin to return. I was encouraged by the turnout, as our own event—the MPO Summit—would take place less than a month later. And while it felt great to “be back,” this year’s event really had the old, familiar feel we were missing.

I saw a number of friends from the industry who all seemed thrilled to have the opportunity to be at the event. Whether showcasing new products and services or just taking time to discover new potential customers, companies were happy to be in attendance, some for the first time since February 2020.

When not playing catch-up with recognizable faces, I was happy to be introduced to a variety of companies and people with whom I hadn’t previously met. As I’ve said before, the best part of attending live events is getting to learn about new technologies, capabilities, and innovations.

BioInteractions is a company providing novel surface coating technologies for medical devices (as well as other industries). When I met with representatives at the firm, they were showcasing their Tridant Antimicrobial solution. While the company is striving to have the ability to make truly revolutionary claims, it already states this coating eliminates a variety of bacteria and prevents biofilm formation, which makes for a fantastic offering for implant manufacturers. Further, this is accomplished without using toxic or eluting components. The company explains, “The two-factor approach prevents infections from arising as well as from spreading, which helps reduce the risk of the surface.”

Not a new organization to me, but I then got an update on the latest news from Covestro. Specifically, we spoke about the company’s sustainability initiatives and their continued effort to find alternative sources for materials (not fossil fuel-based). Given the shortage of raw materials being experienced across all industries, any new materials that can be added to the pool of products will be welcomed.

A surprise company for me was Promex, which has history dating back to 1975. Although since that time it’s redirected its attention toward custom assembly processes for medical and biotech devices, this was my first encounter with the firm. Service offerings from the company span from prototype to production, focused around microelectronics. As more products become equipped with digital and “smart” elements, these types of supply partners are only going to become more valuable to medical device makers.

The next firm with which I met is a little hard to describe. As such, I’ll say upfront, if you’re involved in the transport of sensitive and delicate electronic components, you’ll want to visit with Delphon the next time you have the chance. When I made this appointment, I thought the company name was Gel-Pak, giving me the impression this was a packaging materials provider. But Gel-Pak is a product offering, and a really cool one at that. As stated on the company’s website, “Gel-Pak manufactures a family of innovative Gel-coated boxes, trays, slides, and films.” The really “fun” technology, however, were the vacuum release trays. This solution enables components to be placed on a proprietary gel membrane, which then secures them via the use of a vacuum. Once released, the components can be easily removed with tweezers or vacuum pick-up tools. Again, my description hardly does it justice, so get an in-person demo when possible.

As is becoming commonplace in our industry, my next meeting centered around a relatively recent acquisition made by Midwest Products & Engineering (MPE). In September last year, the firm announced it had purchased MindFlow Design—a Southern California medical device design firm that utilizes a three-phase proprietary design process. The company is focused on a user-centric approach, which is ideal since the FDA has paid more attention to human factors in its oversight. The deal extends MPE’s suite of contract services to bring a full-service feel to the company’s offerings.

My final highlight is intended to bring a little attention to a new testing firm called Canyon Labs. I met with the team at this organization, which was one of the most enthusiastic of the companies exhibiting at the event. With a brand new facility (built in 2021), the firm is excited to enter the medical device testing space with a number of offerings. Should you be seeking a new testing partner, Canyon Labs may be worth a look. 

Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]