18 - 21 November 2019, Düsseldorf, Germany.Groundbreaking innovations shape tomorrow's medical progress. At this year's MEDICA, visitors can find out what these exemplary innovations will be like in the here and now. With more than 5,300 exhibitors from 70 countries, MEDICA is the world's largest medical trade fair. As part of it, the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM (MCHF) has evolved into a central hotspot for presenting state-of-the-art solutions and will take place for the sixth time this year - at a brand-new and central location in Hall 13 (Stand 13D45).
The forum will kick off directly on the first day of MEDICA 2019, with captivating sessions on the Internet of Medical Things - a field in which numerous innovations are pushing for application. Zimmer & Peacock, for example, offer biosensors that analyse pH values, glucose, lactate and uric acid. These sensors are implemented in wearables for direct use on the body and thus assist in smart diagnostics of health parameters.
The "world championship" of medical IoT solutions
The ten finalists of the 11th Healthcare Innovation World Cup will also present their developments at the MCHF, starting at 1 p.m. on the Monday. The finalists, who have been selected by the international jury from amongst the several hundred applicants, are still a secret. However, a glance at past years' finalists gives visitors a clue on what to expect. Among them are the intelligent PopIt pillbox from Finland, the wireless StethoMe stethoscope from Poland, a high-precision device for measuring blood pressure by Tarilia Laser Technologies in India as well as MOIO from Germany.This start-up developed a smart care patch for use in out-patient care as well as at home that increases the quality of life for carers and people who require care alike by providing targeted and prompt information. A sensor module is the heart of the patch system. This module is only activated when it is actually needed and offers various functions, such as alarms if users get up or fall, mobility protocols and positioning. If, for example, a person wearing the smart care patch falls, this triggers an alarm. Natalie Heckel of MOIO presents the latest on this innovation in the afternoon of Thursday, 21 November, during the MEDICA DISRUPT session as part of the MCHF. MOIO will also be an exhibitor at the Wearable Technologies Show, the large joint stand in Hall 13 (Stand D46) and will be present for the entire run of the trade fair.
Body Augmentation - smart additions to our bodies
Starting at 3 p.m. on Monday, 18 November, the MCHF will focus on augmentations to the human body, such as bionic eyes, intelligent implants and exoskeletons. Dr. Nadia Tsao will talk about the possibilities of using 3D printing processes to create body parts and will cover a wide range, from printed hips to knee joints. In a report published two years ago, Dr. Tsao already forecast that global 3D bio-printing sales would reach 1.9 billion dollars by 2028.In the same session, Raina Chang, European Business Director of FREE Bionics in Taiwan, will present exoskeletons that offer valuable robotic support for stroke patients during their rehabilitation process. These exoskeletons are also helpful when it comes to exercising people with spinal injuries, with a clear focus on helping them regain their ability to walk. UniExo has also recognised the value of exoskeletons in the rehabilitation of people with limited mobility.
Robots assist senior citizens at home
However, robotics can also be used in care at home. medisana’s new robot, temi, is intended to function as a digital helper in the daily life of senior citizens, to give just one example. Ulrich Schulze-Althoff, Vice President of medisana, will present the home care robot in the session on Monday afternoon as well, as part of the MCHF at MEDICA 2019. temi is shaped like a tablet PC on wheels and reminds users to take their medicine on time, to give one example of its functions. By integrating Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistance system, the home care robot can be linked to compatible smart home devices in the household of senior citizens. medisana will present temi at the MEDICA WT SHOW, which takes place alongside the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTH FORUM, offering visitors the opportunity to see the robot in action.
The most up-to-date level of mobile monitoring
Starting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 19 November, the MCHF focuses on mobile monitoring that is fit to improve healthcare at home as well as in clinics and care homes. Biovotion, for example, uses the medically certified Everion 22 solution to measure various vital parameters such as heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature, oxygen saturation, movement intensity and the quality of sleep. This innovation has already been adopted by pharmaceutical company Mundipharma in developing their digital platform, Painfocus. The result is a combination of Biovotion’s Everion with an AI-based health analysis platform that uses machine learning and combines several physiological biomarkers to calculate the existence and level of pain. The system, which consists of an app and hardware, can capture, monitor and analyse the data that is created by the patient and can then share this data with care staff in real time via a web-based dashboard. This provides exact details on a patient’s health condition, including the level of pain and general physiology - which is particularly invaluable when it comes to patients who are no longer responsiveAmong other topics, the same session also takes a closer look at new solutions in the remote treatment of patients and monitoring their movement activities for physiotherapy clinics and orthopaedic hospitals
On Tuesday afternoon (19 November), the finals of yet another “world championship” will take to the MCHF stage: the 8th MEDICA App COMPETITION to find the world’s best health app solution. Starting at 1 p.m., ten finalists, who have been selected in advance, will compete in their final pitch. To see the teams of developers who have entered, their app ideas and the countries they come from as well as a quick review of the competition in 2018, visit the website, which will be available from the end of October onwards (https://www.medica.de/mac1). After that, the HEALTH ACCELERATOR REVERSE PITCH will take the stage. Here, companies such as Bayer G4A, Merck and Roche Diagnostics present their funding programmes for start-ups.
How can we satisfy artificial intelligence's need for data?
When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, a large amount of reliable data is both a requirement and the foundation - in a nutshell: Big Data. Starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 20 November, Thorsten Gau, Chief Technology Officer Healthcare and Life Sciences at IBM Europe, will take to the forum’s stage to explain how connections and data from various sources can contribute to improving healthcare. This will be followed by Tiasha Renganathan, Head of Wearable Tech at MAS Innovation, who will take a look at how textiles can be used to capture health parameters. And how should experts in the health care industry handle the increasing amount of data? Markus Meier, Market Director Life Sciences at PTC, explains how augmented reality can help them make the most of Big Data and use this as a basis for decisions in therapy.Dr. Stefan Taing, co-founder and Managing Director of M3i, will take a closer look at how capturing clinical data can be accelerated in the MCHF session starting at 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, 21 November. This session will also focus on Big Data and AI. M3i is an industry-in-clinics platform that connects companies to research and development resources in clinics, for example, if a medical technology manufacturer requires access to clinics to conduct a clinical study or if a doctor has an innovative idea and is looking for an industrial partner to realise it. One concrete AI application is Omnidermal's Woundviewer. This app reduces the time required for monitoring, documenting and classifying wounds from twenty to two minutes. According to Omnidermal, Woundviewer is the only device on the market that objectively and quantitatively evaluates wounds in a standardised manner, guarantees a subsequent and comparative study of cutaneous ulcer healing and informs medical personnel immediately should conditions worsen.
MEDICA DISRUPT - the most captivating health start-ups of 2019
The MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM and its programme offer over 100 health start-ups in total a platform to present their products. MEDICA DISRUPT is one firm element of this programme, during which start-ups present their creative ideas. The young companies will present their innovations and solutions between 1 and 3 p.m. from Monday to Wednesday (18 to 20 November) and from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday (21 November). The range of applications encompasses everything from medically certified wearables, diagnostics, health monitoring, women's health, mental health and the treatment and therapy of chronic diseases to Big Data and AI in the healthcare field. Solutions for clinics and care centres as well as digitalising the point-of-care round off the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM in the final session from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, 21 November.More information on the forum and the forum’s programme is available online at https://www.medica-tradefair.com/mchf2
For more information on the INNOVATION WORLD CUP, please visit: https://www.innovationworldcup.com