Biomedical engineering is one of the most dynamic and innovative industries. In terms of patents and of its share of the world market, Germany is in second place after the USA. According to the data of the European Patent Office in Munich, biomedical engineering is at the top of the list of registered inventions with 14,700. Altogether, 11.4 percent of all newly registered patents are from the biomedical engineering industry. The suppliers of the medical technology industry are of particular importance as innovators. Experts had an opportunity to see this for themselves in the context of the leading international trade fair for the suppliers market in medical manufacturing, COMPAMED 2007 in Düsseldorf. Parallel to MEDICA, the world's largest medical trade fair, the 460 exhibitors at COMPAMED 2007 presented a comprehensive range of high-tech solutions, with everything from new materials, components, primary products, packaging and services, to complex microsystems engineering and nanotechnologies. Out of almost 137,000 specialist visitors to the overall event, nearly 13,000 were specifically interested in the range of subjects covered by COMPAMED.
For the first time, along with Hall 8a, the newly constructed Hall 8b was also occupied by COMPAMED exhibitors. "With the construction of Hall 8b, we have accommodated the growing interest of exhibitors in our trade fair," explains Wilhelm Niedergöker, Director of Messe Düsseldorf. The boom that COMPAMED is experiencing is evidence of this demand. At this year's event, the number of exhibitors and the amount of floor space reserved both increased by more than 45 percent since 2006.
For the visitors that means even more variety on offer at COMPAMED. Dr Uwe Kleinkes, Director of IVAM, points to the broad range of areas in which the members of the Professional Association for Microtechnology IVAM (Dortmund) are involved: "The array of products offered by our members extends from microfluidics and surface treatment to complete systems for analytics and diagnostics." According to a current survey by the IVAM, medical technology is by far the most important target industry of Europe's micro-technology companies, which would explain their strong turnout at COMPAMED. This year too, the trade association organized a common stand for 30 companies working in product markets such as manufacturing, micro-technology, nanotechnology and new materials. Together with Messe Düsseldorf, the association also staged the expert forum, in which a cast of high-ranking specialists presented this years topic, "Hightech for Medical Devices", to a professional audience, in a total of 36 orientation talks and company presentations.
Microsystems engineering comes of age
In the process, several new trends were revealed. Microsystems engineering has outgrown the laboratory prototype stage and is now ready for production, including large-scale series production. Take micropumps for example. Considered exotic only few years ago, today they are offered in various designs by a range of manufacturers, including Paritec GmbH (Weilheim), Schwarzer Precision GmbH + Co. KG (Essen) and ThinXXS Microtechnology AG (Zweibrücken). At COMPAMED 2007, Bartels Mikrotechnik GmbH (Dortmund) also showcased the "mp6", the sixth generation of their micropump. It measures only 37 mm by 15 mm by 3.5 mm. "Thanks to the dual actuator, the new model has increased the back pressure area by 100% to 500 millibar. For the first time, that also enables the mixing of gases and liquids," emphasizes Dr Ulrike Michelsen, Head of Marketing and Sales at Bartels.
Sensors are a another broad topic. Sensirion AG (Stäfa, Schweiz) presented at COMPAMED a major breakthrough in the manufacture of gas flow and differential pressure sensors on the basis of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Components of this type are manufactured using Sensirions CMOSens® technology. This technology allows integrated intelligent systems (circuitry) to be placed on the tiniest semiconductor space (CMOS = metal oxide semiconductor). Sensors of this type, which are manufactured in large quantities as part of a standard CMOS process, have been utilized successfully for quite some time in many different products the world over. But now they are available in a size smaller. After 15 years of research and development, production has been extended to include the handling of 8-inch wafers (wafer = semiconductor chip). It is thus possible to produce high-performance gas flow and differential pressure sensors "in large numbers and at exceedingly attractive prices," as Sensirion states. Aceos GmbH (Dresden) has also enhanced its sensor chips once more. New for COMPAMED was an oxygen sensor that enables exact measurement of the breathing of newborn babies, and a component that measures oxygen and carbon dioxide simultaneously. These new solutions should help to detect lung and cardiovascular diseases at an early stage by measuring the breathing gases. "We were very popular at COMPAMED. The success story continues to unfold," celebrates Dr Marcus Schotters, Managing Director of Aceos.
The smaller that components and systems become, the more troublesome and at the same time the more important becomes quality and function control. Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH (Oberkochen) has recently developed several machines, which can, in different ways, measure even the smallest components with great precision. The measuring machines "O-Inspect" and "F25" are both equipped with a flexible multi-sensor system which can take optical and tactile measurements with a single system and only one setting. While the O-Inspect covers the micrometer range, the F25 works in the miniature world of the nanometer (millionth of a millimeter). "In terms of precision, the device is world class and currently without competition," says Jürgen Keller, Product Manager of Carl Zeiss. In addition, the probe is extremely sensitive, working with minimal probe forces to get reproducible measurement results from microsystem parts that are not even visible.
Contact-free "printing" with lasers
Another highly sensitive area is the inscription of medical technology parts such as cathodes, implants and pacemakers which have direct tissue contact. Compared to printing or etching, lasers have some major advantages when it comes to this type of task. "We don't require any additives or chemicals and we work contact-free," explains Dr Alexander Knitsch, Application Manager for the Medical Technology Department at Trumpf (Ditzingen). The compact inscription laser, TruMark 3020, developed by laser specialist Trumpf and exhibited for the first time at COMPAMED, is suitable for smaller production runs too. "It's the second time now that weve attended this trade fair in addition to MEDICA, because here there is a lively exchange of information with a distinctly international audience," says Knitsch.
A systematic approach to medical engineering would not be complete without the appropriate packaging, which is increasingly important, in all its shapes and sizes, at COMPAMED. About 10% of all the exhibitors are active in this area. "Our customers must place a ten-year guarantee on their products; the right packaging is therefore essential," explains Christian Kaunzner, Sales Manager at Südpack Medica AG (Baar, Schweiz). This subsidiary of the Südpack Group specializes in films and packaging for abacterial products and offers customized solutions in a variety of synthetic materials, also for smaller production runs and special shapes. The trend towards maximum cleanliness requirements is also in evidence at Bischof + Klein GmbH & Co. KG (Lengerich), one of Europes leading suppliers with a full-range of flexible packaging in plastic and paper. Since August 2007, extrusion, production and packing are all being carried out in a clean room. "We're also considering similar measures, it will certainly become a requirement eventually," Christian Kaunzner from Südpack Medica AG confirms the trend.
The growing market for services
Services relating to medical products are a subject of growing importance. As an internationally active test laboratory for medical products the BSL Bioservice Scientific Laboratories GmbH (Planegg) covers all questions relating to biological safety. "We examine, for example, whether relevant parts are hemocompatible or disruptive to biological systems," says Dr Alexander Werner, Heat of Marketing and Sales at BSL. The company is pleased at the growing market and already supplies 40 percent of its services to customers from outside the EU. "Due to the regulations, animal experiments are still necessary to some extent, but we do more and more work with cell cultures," says Werner.
Mobile phones, PDAs and laptop computers, MP3 players and digital cameras have made their mark on everyday life. But they also form the basis of intelligent, life-supporting assistance systems (Ambient Assisted Living, AAL), which especially help elderly people in regard to prevention and home care and enable a self-determined life in the domestic environment. According to a study by the VDE (Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies, Frankfurt a. M.) presented at COMPAMED, microsystems, as the key to sensor systems and data transmission, could revolutionize health care and health services. "Many components are already available, although the networking to complete systems leaves much to be desired. On this point, the USA is far ahead of us," states Dr Gerhard Finking from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In light of the ageing population, this equally exciting and important topic is in the right hands at COMPAMED, and by 2008, it could be the focus of even more attention in Halls 8a and 8b.
Date of the next COMPAMED: 1921 November 2008
Date of the next MEDICA: 1922 November 2008
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