For quite some time, two essential trends have dominated the field of medical technology and ensure short innovation cycles: dematerialization and digitalization. Accordingly, products are increasingly becoming more compact while their performance remains the same or is improved, they are increasingly easy to use and as a whole, innovations are driven by software and less by hardware. Intelligent prosthetics capture their surroundings using sensors and by doing so their function is tailored more ideally to the patient. Adhesive bandages are able to monitor the wound healing process or act as an early warning system and signal increased risk of an imminent asthma attack. Bracelets functioning as a “mini-hospital on the upper arm” have started to appear on the market. They are able to determine various body parameters such as heart rate, oxygen in the blood, stress levels or sleep rhythms. Even for the permanent blood pressure measurement per heartbeat no inflatable cuff is needed, because modern optical biosensors are now able to do this.

Innovations like these require close cooperation between medical technological manufacturers and their suppliers during development. The fact that it is often the suppliers with their ideas who provide the decisive impetus for development leaps is something that trade visitors can see for themselves again at COMPAMED in Düsseldorf, Germany from November 12 -15. With around 800 exhibitors from almost 40 nations, COMPAMED is the leading international trade fair for the supplier market of medical technology manufacturing. The event takes place concurrently with MEDICA, the world’s leading medical trade fair (5,000 exhibitors). The scope of products, solutions and services presented and addressed at COMPAMED ranges from parts and components such as sensors, chips, wireless modules, energy and data storage to coating technology, packaging solutions and even complete made-to-order production.

Blue light helps heal chronic wounds
Chronic wounds are notoriously difficult to treat, as they do not follow a typical healing process or healing time frame. The resulting strain is considerable, as over 40 million people are affected every year, causing costs of around 40 million Euros, which must be carried by the health care systems. Blue light is known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect during the healing process’s initial phase and in addition does not damage tissue, in contrast to dangerous UV light. However, there was no evidence of the positive effect of blue light exposure in the later stages of wound healing, which has previously complicated the development of effective solutions for a complete therapy.

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