Product development in the medical device industry is booming. Devices are becoming smaller and smarter, especially for the expanding number of less-invasive procedures being developed. Making diagnostic instruments and devices that battle COVID-19 are still a top priority. Greater design attention is being focused on meeting FDA and other regulatory standards. New devices are often Internet of Things-driven, with sensors and data capabilities, that are then further shaped through human-factors engineering.
“Integrating digital insights into devices is becoming increasingly important,” said Kevin Ehlert, segment manager for Trelleborg Healthcare & Medical, a Schaumburg, Ill.-based provider of innovative engineered solutions for medical device, biotech, and pharmaceutical applications. “Through a more data-driven approach, care providers can access real-time information and cater treatment to the patient in a much more focused and effective way.”
“The democratization of healthcare is pushing the industry to create more automation and home-use devices,” added Dan Sterling, president of Sterling Medical Devices, a Moonachie, N.J.-based provider of product design and engineering services to the medical device industry. “Specifically, robotics addresses the need to treat more people, while allowing surgeons to work more efficiently.”