It is time once again for medical device engineers, R&D managers, product design professionals, and medtech executives to convene at the Javits Center in New York for Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East, June 12-14. This guide is just a sample of how this must-attend industry event will help you keep your medtech game on point.
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Meet a Medtech Rock Star
The opportunity to meet an industry pioneer isn't one to take for granted. This year, during the 20th annual Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) ceremony, Robert Jarvik will be awarded the MDEA Lifetime Achievement Award, joining a growing list of recipients whose contributions to medtech innovation have had a lasting impact on the world.
MD+DI recently talked to Jarvik as he recalled some of the most defining moments of his medtech career. Read about it here.
Celebrate Medical Design Excellence
Since 1998, the MDEA program has recognized achievements in medical product design and engineering that improve the quality of healthcare delivery and accessibility.
Each year, a panel of jurors comprised of designers, engineers, and clinicians awards bronze, silver, gold, and best-in-show honors to the most innovative products on the market in nine categories. The MDEAs reward not only the companies that market the devices, but often the suppliers that contribute to the design, development, and manufacture of these award-worthy products.
Check out this year's MDEA finalists, organized by category, here. Join us starting at 4 PM Tuesday for a cocktail reception, followed by the awards presentation at 5 PM in rooms 1E15-1E16.
Get Schooled at the Medtech Education Hub
This free three-day theater, located in the expo hall, is designed specifically for medical device engineers working in R&D, design, and product development. This is where you will hear inspiring presentations from product development experts, see live demonstrations focused on topics like usability and the use of virtual reality for surgical training, and catch panel discussions on everything from artificial intelligence to wearables.
As MD+DI recently highlighted, this year's event will include a one-of-a-kind fashion show at 12 PM Tuesday featuring cutting-edge wearable health devices and the materials and components that make them tick. Batteries, for example, are a critical part of any wearable device and a battery technology expert will take the stage Thursday to tell you everything you need to know about battery technologies and how to find the right type of battery for your next device. For an in-depth preview, check out this Q&A with Michael Xie, CEO of PHD Energy.
Artificial intelligence has become such a hot topic in the medical device and diagnostics industry that it seems like we're seeing new medical applications for AI in the news on a daily basis. On Tuesday, panelists will discuss the various ways AI is moving the needle in medtech. Then, on Wednesday, two other experts will share their perspectives on the impact AI is having on medical device development. For an in-depth preview of each of these sessions, check out this Q&A with Dave Saunders, the chief technology officer at Galen Robotics, this Q&A with Gioel Molinari, president of Butterfly Network, and this article based on an interview with David Jacobs, CEO of digital health startup ThinkGenetic.
And just in case that's not enough AI for you next week, Arda Ural, a partner in Ernst & Young’s Transaction Advisory Services practice in New York, is sure to cover the topic on Thursday when he talks about top medtech trends. MD+DI talked to Ural in advance of the event about some of the trends he will mention, and you can find that Q&A here.
Sensors are another hot topic among medical device engineers, and a Tuesday panel session will explore the latest sensor technologies, discuss the challenges associated with sensors, and share design guidelines and considerations for using sensors in medtech. Here is a Q&A with one of the panelists, Roger Grace, president of strategic marketing firm Roger Grace Associates, who has been working in the sensor technology market since 1982.
Materials science is a constantly-evolving field and a panel of experts will take the stage Wednesday to discuss trends in biomaterials, medical electronics, plastics, and soft materials, and explore cutting-edge applications being used by today's medical device engineers. For a preview of this session, check out this Q&A with Jacqueline Anim, the principal material engineer at Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon subsidiary.
Other sessions to watch for on the medtech educational hub agenda include how to make a subscription business model work in medtech, how autoinjector technologies could change drug delivery, a live how-to demonstration on usability testing, and a demonstration from Osso VR on the use of virtual reality as a training tool for surgeons.
The full schedule of medtech educational hub activities can be found here.
Don't Be Afraid to Hub Hop
In addition to the Medtech Education Hub, the event includes educational hubs dedicated to smart manufacturing and packaging, both of which will have sessions medtech professionals may be interested in. At the Packaging Education Hub, for example, attendees will have a hands-on opportunity Tuesday to learn how to open a medical packaging aesthetically.
MD+DI Editor-in-Chief Daphne Allen will also be speaking Tuesday at the Packaging Education Hub about testing methods for sterile barrier systems.
Source Like It's Your Job (Especially If It Is Your Job)
If your primary goal at MD&M East is to source a solution for your next medical device, you won't be disappointed. More than 700 suppliers will populate the expo hall showcasing the latest in medtech, plastics, automation, design engineering, and quality control.
MD+DI's sister publication PlasticsToday highlighted some of the products and services that will be on display, including a handheld device for measuring the preparedness of a material’s surface for adhesion, which can be used to inspect surfaces in various types of medical devices.
Browse the full list of advanced design and manufacturing exhibitor products here. Don't forget, you can find pre-qualified suppliers and service providers to the medical device and diagnostics industry anytime by visiting our Qmed directory.
