MedTech Innovation Round – Up (September 2021)

Technological innovations and ongoing advances in device development mean that our field continues to grow, attracting new talent, new ideas, and ever more life-changing discoveries.

On the flip side, however, there have been exceptional new challenges over the past 18 months as well, with component shortages and production delays plaguing many.

Here at Nectar, we’ve been able to circumvent many of those challenges using our ISO 13485 process, and we’ve still managed to get new products to market quickly, including a critical care ventilator released in 2021.

We’re also constantly seeking to find new ways to stay sharp. That means attending trade shows, like the recent MD&M event in California; collaborating with organizations like ALine who are making a mark in their field; and just generally doing our best to stay abreast of what’s new in our field.

Below, you’ll find a roundup of recent developments we’ve been reading about online!

Device Development

Socially Conscious

The carbon offset market could surpass 100 billion dollars by 2030, which means companies like Pachama, with the technological capacity to track the effectiveness of forest projects, are well positioned for continued growth. Founder Saez Gil says that they are committed to providing tools that enhance “integrity, transparency, and accountability” within the industry. (FastCompany)

Medical & Tech Innovations

C. Light Technologies has raised over 3 million dollars in seed funding in order to begin a novel pilot study with the University of California at San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. They’ll be studying AI technology that is capable of spotting changes in eye motion in order to detect the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease. (VentureBeat)

“A newly developed 3D-printable tissue scaffold is designed to break down in the body once it has served its medical purpose... The honeycomb-shaped scaffold allows tissue to regenerate between its open cells while also biodegrading at a rate appropriate for its use, leaving only regrown tissue at the implantation site.” (MDDI Online)

The wearable healthcare device industry continues to grow as both hearing loss and neurological disease increase in prevalence. Projections are showing a possible global net worth of 140 billion+ by the start of 2028. (Med Tech Intelligence)

According to Koniku Inc., they’re hitting their stride in the creation of a sensory breakthrough. Founder Agabi says, “What the camera did for vision, we’re now doing for smell.” (Bloomberg News)

Using light, sound, and nanoparticles, researchers have recently demonstrated (on mice), that they can capture images of atherosclerotic plaques using new imaging techniques. This would enable early detection of the plaque buildup that causes strokes and heart attacks; research continues, with many possible future uses. (Futurity)

Industrial Design

Photography giant Canon recently filed a patent for a camera with an L-shaped hole in the middle of it. It’s been described as both “bizarre” and “oddly compelling”, and may be ideal for action photographers. It may also signal Canon’s next step in revolutionizing the photographic process. (TechRadar)

Regulatory

Regulatory changes across Europe can impact the work you’re doing today. From EMA drug-device guidelines to instruction on EU tracking numbers and guidance for IVD performance tracking for Covid testing, be sure to stay up to date with what’s happening across the pond. (Emergo)

Networked medical devices have increasingly been targeted for cyber security attacks, meaning that the need for proactive measures has only continued to increase. Specialized cyber security professionals who understand the unique challenges of medical device security will likely continue to be in high demand. (MDDI Online)