medicine&technology 01.2019

01.2019 

www.medizin-und-technik.de 

RRP 11,20– € 

Engineering for the 

Medical Device Industry 

FEATURE 

New 5G Standard 

What a 5G Network could offer for 

production areas and hospitals 

Page 34 

Medical Device Regulation 

Lack of clarity for MDR 

implementation by May 2020 Page 12 

Research in Lithuania 

Combined know-how in engineering, 

life sciences, and IT like AI Page 62 

Trade Fair 

MEDICA/COMPAMED 

New products and trends 

18.11.-21.11.2019 Page 21 

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2 medicine&technology 01/2019

Digitalisation is the Future 

– but First Comes the MDR 

You know it has to be an important topic when a large in - 

dustry trade fair like Medica devotes an entire hall to it: 

digitalisation and related topics will be grouped together in 

Hall 13 this year. Read more about digitalisation and the trends 

at the Medica and Compamed trade shows in Dusseldorf in our 

trade fair section starting on page 21. 

The growing importance of data and data usage in healthcare 

and in medical technology is not only evident at the trade shows. 

Take, for example, the Internet of Medical Things, which will 

need to be developed around the new 5G standard. Test environments 

already exist, like the ones in Munich or Oulu. We 

dedicated the feature of this issue to these developments. Starting 

on page 34, you will learn which things are working and 

what still needs to be worked out. 

A forerunner in digitalisation is Lithuania, where an exciting research 

landscape has unfolded. Medical data are the basis for 

start-ups and pioneering research projects here (page 62). 

Yet, whoever is entering new territory should not disregard the 

old values or the old ethical questions. In an interview with 

Prof. Alena Buyx, the need for research on self-learning systems 

in medicine, in which not even doctors can determine how the AI 

came to its decision, becomes clear (page 16). 

Of course, you cannot talk about medical devices today without 

considering the current developments introduced by the 

Medical Device Regulation. TÜV Süd is one of the first de - 

signated notified bodies in Europe. Dr. Bassil Akra, Vice Pre - 

sident Global Strategic Business Development of Medical & 

Health Services, explains in an interview on page 12 why he 

thinks time-out on the MDR is needed. 

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01/2019 medicine&tec hn ology 3

■ Market and 

Management 

MDR Implementation: 

A Lack of Clarity 

Too many details about MDR are still 

unclear, says Dr. Bassil Akra, Vice Pre - 

sident Global Strategic Business Development 

of Medical & Health Services at 

TÜV Süd ...........................................12 

Market Development in South Korea 

South Korea’s healthcare system is still 

dependent on imports of innovative 

medical technology ............................14 

Trade Fair 

Medica/Compamed 

Digitalisation, Key Focus Area for 

Medica and Compamed .....................22 

Medical-grade Plastics: New additive 

for smooth synthetic materials ...........24 

Laser Treatment: Heart valves with 

scaffold open up new therapies ..........26 

Assistance for the Development 

of IVD Analysers ................................28 

Multilayer Film for 

Sterile Touch Keyboards ....................30 

Access Catheter: A platform opens 

a window into the body .....................32 

34 

■ Medicine in Dialogue 

Ethical Questions on AI in Medicine 

There is an ethical framework for new 

technologies in medicine. For AI, however, 

many detailed questions have remained 

unanswered, reports Ethics Professor 

Alena Buyx ..............................16 

16 

■ Technology 

Mobile Communications on 5G 

The fifth generation (5G) is far more 

than the successor of LTE: Manufacturers 

of medical technology can use 5G to build 

their own networks. The starting gun for 

new medical devices? ........................34 

Development/Components 

Blood Sugar Measurement: 

Meter powered by sugar in the blood .40 

Small Motor Clears Clot from Vessel at 

40,000 Revolutions per Minute ..........50 

Manufacturing 

3D Printing of Individual Parts and 

Implants from Titanium Powder ........52 

Integrating 3D Printing for 

Contract Manufacturers .....................54 

Screws for Endoprosthetics: 

Better to broach than to ream ............56 

Photo: Klaus Ranger 

According to 

Dr. med. Alena 

Buyx, Professor 

of Ethics, AI in 

medicine raises 

new questions 

Medical Device Software: Licensing 

only for needed functions ..................42 

Decontamination with DBD Plasma: 

A new technology in disaster relief .....44 

Automated Analysis in the Lab: Precise 

movements around the blood sample 46 

AI Provides Rapid Conclusions 

for Quality Management ...................58 

Liquid Silicone Rubber: 

New properties available ...................60 

Polymer Plain Bearings in the Knee 

Prosthesis: Lighter and quieter ...........48 

58 

4 medicine&technology 01/2019 

Photo: Alexander Limbach/Fotolia 

Good or not good? 

Artificial intelligence 

can recognise 

relationships that 

remain hidden to 

human understanding

Photo: Elnur/stock.adobe.com 

Feature 

5G: Potential 

for the Medical 

Device Industry 

Manufacturers of medical devices can use 

5G to build their own networks and advance 

factory automation. Also, 5G makes 

the Internet of Medical Things possible 

through short latency times and high 

reliability. .........................................34 

■ Research 

Research in Lithuania 

In the area of medical technology, 

Lithuania stands out with its combined 

know-how in engineering, life sciences, 

and IT ................................................62 

Rubrics 

Editorial ............................................03 

Visions ...............................................06 

News .................................................08 

Innovations .......................................66 

Imprint ..............................................68 

Real-time Tracking 

Researchers in Dresden have been able to 

track moving micro-objects deep in the 

tissue in real time ..............................65 

62 

Photo: prosign/Fotolia.com 

Lithuania 

combines 

know-how 

in engineering, 

life 

sciences, 

and IT like 

AI 

Cover photo: The new 5G standard may 

be the solution to seek out new applications 

and to advance the Internet 

of Medical Things. Initial test environments 

have already been constructed 

(Photo: Elnur/stock.adobe.com) 


VISIONS 


Plates—for 

Implants Too 

It does not get much stiffer than 

this: Material researchers at ETH 

Zurich University and MIT have developed 

new internal structures for 

materials that have to absorb forces 

not just from one direction, but 

from all three dimensions, and that 

are extremely stiff at the same 

time. Mathematical calculations 

have shown that the new design 

comes extremely close to the maximum 

stiffness that is theoretically 

achievable. In other words: It is 

practically impossible to develop 

other material structures that are 

stiffer at this specific weight. Characteristic 

of the new design is that 

the stiffness of the material’s interior 

is not achieved with trusses, 

but with regularly reoccurring plate-lattice 

structures. 

The ETH scientists under Dirk Mohr, 

Professor of Computational Modelling 

of Materials in Manufacturing, 

developed the structures on the 

computer first. Next, the researchers 

created the structures 

out of plastic on the micrometre 

scale using 3D printing. The advantages 

of this design are universal, 

however: for all materials and on all 

scales of magnitude, from the nanometre 

scale to very large. 

Potential applications are practically 

limitless, states Mohr. Medical 

implants, laptop housing, and ultra-light 

vehicle structures are only 

three of many possible examples. 

Photo: ETH Zurich/Marc Day 


■ [ NEWS ] 

GS1 standards for 

the EU MDR 

Medical Device Regulation | GS1 Germany has been 

accredited by the European Commission as an official 

Unique Device Identification (UDI) issuing agency. 

GS1 standards make medical devices unmistakable. 

Photo: B. Braun Melsungen 

The European Commission has accredited GS1 Germany as 

an official Unique Device Identification (UDI) issuing agency. 

This means that companies can use the standards and 

solutions of GS1 Germany to meet EU requirements in accordance 

with the Medical Device Regulation (MDR). 

Medical devices must be clearly identified and completely 

traceable. The European Commission has laid out the relevant 

requirements for Europe in the MDR. This includes implementing 

the Unique Device Identification system, which uses a UDI 

Device Identifier (UDI DI) to identify medical devices in a clear 

and standardised manner. The UDI ADI is a unique numerical or 

alphanumeric code which is assigned to a product model. It can 

be used to access information about the product in a UDI database. 

In addition to meeting US requirements, GS1 standards now enable 

manufacturers of medical devices and in-in vitro diagnostics 

to meet the European requirements regarding the labelling and 

identification of their products laid out in the MDR, in addition 

to ensuring that the necessary product data is provided in a UDI 

database. “The GS1 standards also help companies and their 

business partners to improve the efficiency of their ordering 

and logistics processes and improve patient safety. I would therefore 

recommend that they start work on implementing the standards 

in the near future,” states Sylvia Reingardt, Senior Branch 

Manager at GS1 Germany. 

Manufacturers require a UDI DI for both new products and any 

changes which could lead to a product being misidentified or 

could result in traceability issues. These changes mainly involve 

alterations to a product’s name, version or models, guidance related 

to the sterile nature of a product or the need to sterilise a 

product before it is used, packet sizes, warnings and contraindications. 

Manufacturers must allocate this individual identifier to 

both the dosage unit of its device and each level of packaging. 

GS1 stands for Global Standards One. Cologne-based GS1 Germany 

is part of the international GS1 network. It is the second 

largest of the more than 110 GS1 national organisations after 

GS1 US. 

www.gs1.de/udi 

IERA Award 

UV Disinfection Robot 

Kills Hospital Bugs 

Apex Digital Health 

New Funds for Start-ups 

in the Healthcare Sector 

The winner of the 15 th Award 

for Innovation and Entrepreneurship 

in Robotics and 

Automation (IERA) is the UVD 

robot made by Danish company 

Blue Ocean Robotics. 

The collaborative robot moves 

through hospitals autonomously 

whilst emitting concentrated 

UVC light to remove 

bacteria and other harmful 

micro-organisms: The dis - 

infection rate is reported to be 

Photo : Blue Ocean Robotics 

99.99 percent. The UV dis - 

infection robot treats the surfaces 

with light from several 

angles at close range. It disinfects 

all contact surfaces and 

even stops at predefined hotspots 

that take longer to disinfect. 

Whilst the UVD robot is 

no replacement for manual 

cleaning, it is a complemen - 

tary system. The robot comes 

with a number of safety features 

to prevent people from 

being exposed to UVC light. 

For example, a tablet with a 

motion sensor is placed on the 

door to the patient’s room: 

The UVC light switches off 

when someone enters the 

room. 

www.ifr.org 

European venture capital firm 

Apex Ventures, with offices in 

Vienna and Frankfurt, announced 

a new fund: Apex 

Digital Health. The company 

intends to raise EUR 50 million 

in capital for this fund. 

The new fund is focused on 

young companies, primarily 

from the DACH region, that 

develop very promising technologies 

and applications for 

the healthcare industry. 

The partner for Apex Digital 

Health is Dr. Gordon Euller 

(36), a medical professional 

who has experience as a 

specialist in radiology, a corporate 

consultant for McKinsey, 

and an Apex founder. He 

is responsible for selecting and 

supporting companies. 

Photo : REDPIXEL/Fotolia 

With its first fund, Apex One, 

Apex Ventures has already invested 

in several digital health 

companies: The list includes 

Image Biopsy Lab, which provides 

AI solutions to doctors 

in orthopaedic diagnostic 

radiology, and Contextflow, 

which facilitates the work of 

radiologists with a search engine 

for 3D CT scan images. 

www.apex.ventures 


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CYROLITE® has been working in hospitals and 

labs for more than 40 years. Thanks to their 

excellent properties, our high- performance 

acrylics are perfect for use in a wide range of 

medical devices. CYROLITE® is highly transparent 

and easily processed into intricate 

parts. It can be reliably sterilized using most 

common methods and is BPA- and DEHP-free. 

This has impressed both patients and healthcare 

professionals alike: CYROLITE® meets 

the requirements of USP Class VI, ISO 10993-1, 

and REACH. You can find more details at 

www.cyrolite.com. 


■ [ NEWS ] 

MedTech 

from Ireland 

Export growth | In response to the imminent Brexit, 

Irish companies are turning their sights more and more 

to the EU—and with success. Medical technology 

manufacturers are reporting increasing sales figures in 

the eurozone. 

In recent years, Ireland has become one of the world’s most important 

competence centres in medical technology: Ireland’s 

inward promotion agency (IDA Ireland) reports that 450 medical 

technology companies have established offices on the Emerald 

Isle, including 18 of the 24 leading specialists in the world. They 

produce 80 percent of the global market volume in stents, 75 percent 

of orthopaedic knee devices, and 50 percent of ventilators. 

Also, as a supplier partner, Ireland supplies a large number of 

medical technology manufacturers in the European Union, 

which benefit from duty-free commerce and a strong partner in 

service. 

Enterprise Ireland is currently providing ample support to companies 

to reduce their dependence on exports from the United 

Kingdom. The goal is to increase exports to the European market 

by 50 percent by 2020. The eurozone is Ireland’s second largest 

MedTech made in Ireland: Irish exports to Germany increase in response 

to the imminent Brexit. 

export market after the United Kingdom—within the eurozone, 

Germany is first, so Enterprise Ireland. “Given Brexit, German 

companies are looking increasingly for innovative medical technology 

and partners in Ireland, which is reflected in growth 

among our Irish customers in exports to Germany,” explains 

Eddie Goodwin, Manager Germany, Switzerland, and Austria at 

Enterprise Ireland. The Irish government’s inward promotion 

agency works closely with Irish companies and offers support in 

developing global markets and increasing exports. “The Republic 

of Ireland is and will be an integral part of the European Union,” 

continues Goodwin. “The United Kingdom’s exit from the EU is a 

challenge not only for Ireland, but also for all of our European 

neighbours.” 

www.enterprise-ireland.com 

Photo: Enterprise Ireland 

Blockchain and IoT 

TCS and SAP Simplify Inventory 

Management of Surgical Instruments 

Visualisation systems 

Intuitive Surgical Takes 

Over Robotic Endoscopes 

Photo : alfa27/Fotolia 

Together with SAP, Tata Consultancy 

Services (TCS) places on the market a 

solution for the inventory management of 

surgical instruments for medical device 

manufacturers. Based on technologies 

within SAP Leonardo, TCS’s Intelligent 

Field Inventory Management (IFIM) uses 

the Internet of Things (IoT) to keep track 

of instruments. In addition, IFIM employs 

blockchain technology to enable greater 

transparency of the inventory 

for all parties involved—from 

manufacturers, to distributors 

and hospitals. The solution 

also helps optimise inventory, 

eases compliance with regulatory 

requirements, and processes 

returned instruments. 

Intelligent Field Inventory 

Management can be integrated 

into existing core systems and 

is scalable to meet the dynamic 

requirements of the supply 

chain in the life sciences industry. 

Tata Consultancy Services has been a 

partner to international companies in IT 

services, consultation, and business solutions 

for the last 50 years. As part of the 

Tata group, the largest multinational 

business group in India, TCS has more 

than 424,000 employees in 46 countries. 

www.tcs.com 

Intuitive Surgical is acquiring Schölly 

Fiberoptic’s robotic endoscope business. 

Based in Sunnyvale, California/USA, Intuitive 

Surgical is a pioneer and one of the 

world‘s leading companies in the field of 

robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. 

It also makes Da Vinci Surgical Systems. 

Schölly’s manufacturing line for robot-assisted 

endoscopes and two of Schölly’s 

sites will be integrated into Intuitive’s surgical 

business: the robotic-related manufacturing 

line in Denzlingen/Germany, 

the manufacturing site in Biebertal/Germany, 

and the repair site in Worcester, 

Massachusetts/USA. Intuitive will integrate 

roughly 200 employees at these sites 

into its team over the next 18 months. 

Schölly, headquartered in Denzlingen, 

has been working as a strategic supplier 

for Intuitive for more than 20 years. 

www.intuitive.com 


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■ [ MARKET AND MANAGEMENT ] 

CLARITY LACKING FOR MDR 

IMPLEMENTATION BY MAY 2020 

Notified bodies | TÜV Süd was able to start working as the first notified body outside 

of Great Britain. Still, far too many details about MDR are unclear for us to get 

started in earnest, says Dr. Bassil Akra, Vice President Global Strategic Business 

Development of Medical & Health Services. He would like to stop the clock. 

TÜV Süd Vice President Global Strategic 

Business Development of Medical & 

Health Services, Dr. Bassil Akra knows all 

about the MDR. 

Photo: TÜV Süd 

■ Dr. Akra, TÜV Süd is a notified body 

according to the MDR. How long did it 

take to become designated? 

Overall, about one-and-a-half 

years—which put us a little ahead of the 

formally scheduled completion, which 

expected the first designations in July 

2019. 

■ How does the designation process 

work? 

We had to wait at least six months after 

the publication of the MDR to apply for 

designation. Audits were planned to take 

place within the following six months. 

After this, the applicants received a list 

of deviations. Another six months were 

needed to correct the deviations. After 

the inspection, we were designated by 

the national body, which, for Germany, is 

ZLG, the Central Authority of the Federal 

States for Health Protection. This information 

is available in Nando to give 

other member states the opportunity to 

object. If there are no objections, designation 

is complete. The first to complete 

this process were BSI in Great Britain and 

TÜV Süd, followed by Dekra in Germany 

in August and IMQ in Italy. 

■ There aren’t very many... 

We are actually hoping that there will be 

other notified bodies before the summer 

holidays. In 2018, there were 16 audits in 

total, and, as far as I know, another 15 

audits are planned for 2019. The reason 

things went so quickly for us was, 

amongst other things, because there 

were not very many potential notified 

bodies at all applying to the Commission 

for designation in the first wave. But I 

am happy about every additional one. 

Even though we have expanded our capacities 

considerably, we cannot fully 

cover the market alone. 

■ What new requirements does a notified 

body need to meet? 

A lot more documentation needs to be 

submitted, even from us, to prove we are 

qualified. The fact that we employ 

specialists, for example, is no longer 

good enough. We have to show in writing 

through detailed CVs that surgeons 

have the expertise on surgical suture 

material. Also, we have to go more in 

depth to assess the devices. Every manufacturer 

needs to be treated the same, 

and every device needs to be treated as if 

it had never been on the market before. 

Even if the device has been tried and 

tested for 50 years. 

■ How much does the MDR change the 

work your experts do? 

Technically speaking, we have no clue 

yet, and I think that is the biggest 

problem. Another corrigendum or 

guidance paper always comes along, 

new information from the European 

Commission on how certain passages of 

the MDR are to be interpreted. It was like 

this during the application phase, and 

we updated our processes accordingly 

and trained employees. Sometimes it 

happens that one passage is subject to 

one correction after another. So we have 

had to be very reserved when starting to 

process applications from medical device 

manufacturers. 

■ How have you been able to gain personnel 

for the upcoming duties? 

We started stocking up our capacities 

four years ago. But we have to train every 

new expert in our duties—it takes one to 

one-and-a-half years before newcomers 

can process files on their own. And in 

some areas we are still following the 

rules of the previously valid MDD. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Lack of clarity in the implementation 

of the MDR 

Applications from manufacturers 

not processed yet 

Criteria for prioritising the applications 

are in process 

Special national regulations 


■ Will there be supply bottlenecks? 

There are many circumstances that could 

cause problems. For instance, three device 

groups that used to need a de - 

claration of conformity from the manufacture 

to reach the market will now 

need certification from a notified body: 

Class Ir reusable devices, medical apps, 

and substance-based medical devices 

like nasal spray. Since there are only two 

notified bodies so far, there is no way to 

foresee how everything is supposed to 

get done. And because of a possible Brexit, 

many manufacturers are looking for 

a notified body that is not located in 

Great Britain, which exacerbates the 

situation. Furthermore, existing certificates 

need to be extended—when permissible—according 

to the MDD so devices 

can be sold after May 2020 and to 

allow re-certification to take place a little 

later. If the notified bodies do not have 

the capacity to reach the goal, these devices 

would likewise disappear from the 

market until they are re-certified. 

The way we are 

moving forward with 

the MDR now, we are 

only wasting resources. 

■ How do you determine the order in 

which applications from manufacturers 

are processed? 

We cannot discriminate against anyone. 

So our only option is to work on a firstcome-first-serve 

basis when it comes to 

capacities. We do not differentiate between 

big companies and small ones, or 

existing customers and new ones. The 

MDR is a restart, so all customers start at 

nil. To ensure patients will still be supplied, 

we are currently working on criteria 

for how we can organise the work. 

We will look at the clinical relevance of 

devices, the level of innovation, and the 

validity period for existing certificates. 

■ What do you see as the biggest challenge 

for companies? 

The most difficult challenge is that even 

companies have to deal with the uncertainty 

of not exactly knowing what is 

required of them, but they still have to 

make the capacities available. Experts in 

this area are rare and expensive, which 

makes the situation difficult, especially 

for many small companies. 

■ What is not being talked about 

enough regarding the MDR? 

The patients. There is actually too little 

emphasis on the goal of developing safe 

and effective devices, and there are way 

too many formalities. Something is falling 

out of balance here because the actual 

effort all manufacturers have to put 

forth will be reflected in the price for devices. 

■ What do you hope will happen for 

dealing with the new MDR? 

Even if it is unrealistic, a reset would be 

fantastic. We need to stop the clock until 

all guidances are available, until there is 

a clear idea of what is expected, until 

there is a Eudamed database and 

enough capacities at notified bodies to 

process the large number of applications. 

Until then we cannot start implementing 

the regulations of the MDR 

in earnest and in a timely matter. The 

way things are moving now, we are 

burning through only resources that 

could instead be going towards innovations 

or improving the healthcare system. 

■ What will the implementation of the 

MDR look like in May 2020? 

I think it will be very chaotic. So far the 

European Commission has practically 

not responded to comments from notified 

bodies. Since there will be difficulties, 

many member states will resort to 

the option of introducing special na tio - 

nal regulations to keep their healthcare 

systems running—until there is finally a 

working system based on the MDR. 

■ What do you recommend for companies 

given this situation? 

Don’t spend your time waiting and hoping. 

Prepare as best as possible using 

your technical and scientific expertise, 

and get in touch with potential notified 

bodies early. I wish everyone much 

strength and courage so that the MDR 

regulations can be implemented on time 

for the patients’ sake and that medical 

devices remain available in the meantime. 

Dr Birgit Oppermann 

birgit.oppermann@konradin.de 

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Photo: anekoho/Fotolia 

High-tech for the Tiger State 

Market development | The rapid ageing of society is a problem for South Korea’s 

healthcare system—and an o. This ist an pportunity for international manufacturers:In 

innovative medical technology, this high-tech nation is still dependent on imports 

to a large degree. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Tiger state 

Ageing society 

Digitalisation 

Moon Care 

KIMES trade show 

From the poorhouse to an economic 

power: South Korea made the climb 

within a few decades. Today this largest 

amongst the rapidly rising Asian tiger 

countries is ranked eleventh amongst 

leading industrial nations, measured by 

gross domestic product. However, the 

country has not only become rich faster 

than any other, but life expectancy is also 

sky-rocketing. Experts predict South Koreans 

will live the longest in the world by 

2030. The birth rates sunk to a record low 

of 0.98, one the lowest in the world, however. 

Rapid ageing is a problem for the 

healthcare system—and, at the same 

time, an opportunity for international 

manufacturers of innovative medical 

technology, an area in which the hightech 

nation of South Korea still relies 

heavily on imports. “The challenges of the 

future, including the demographic transition 

and rising healthcare costs, are important 

drivers for public health policy 

and the resulting use of technologies like 

IoT and AI,” says Holger Klein, Managing 

Director of Dräger Korea. 

For Dräger, South Korea is an attractive 

market with enormous potential for 

growth. The medical and safety technology 

company based in Lübeck/Germany 

has had a subsidiary in Korea since 1990, 

where it employs around 30 people today. 

Together with sales partners, Dräger 

offers its customers—mainly general hospitals 

and maximum-care hospitals—product 

solutions as well as aftersales 

service and support from clinical experts. 

South Korea relies on artificial 

intelligence and digitalisation 

As a specialist in acute medicine, Dräger 

focuses on the areas of intensive care, 

trauma care, and emergency medicine. 

Its goal is to improve clinical results, and, 

in doing so, to manage costs, improve 

patient experiences, and ensure employee 

satisfaction, says Klein. “We imagine a 

future in which medical devices are 

connected as a system and interact with 

one another and allow for new clinical applications 

like data analysis, remote control, 

and, ultimately, hospital automation.” 

South Korea’s government is building 

on digitalisation and artificial intelligence. 

Also, President Moon Jae-In announced 

he would expand the range of 

services in the national health insurance 

system significantly: The insurance system 

needs to accept 70 percent of the 

costs for medical treatment. Thanks to 

“Moon Care,” patients should receive, 

amongst other things, assistance for dental 

prostheses, implants, magnetic re - 

sonance imaging, ultrasound, and dementia 

treatment. 

The signs point to growth. From 2010 

to 2016, healthcare expenses increased 

from 6.5 percent to 7.7 percent, measured 

on the gross domestic product. There is 

still room for improvement. The medical 

technology market recorded aboveaverage 

growth rates of, most recently, 

11.5 percent in 2016 and 8.3 percent in 

2017. The market volume was USD 5.1 


Sees South Korea as an attractive 

market with enormous 

growth potential: 

Holger Klein, the Managing 

Director of Dräger Korea. 

Photo: Dräger 

Platform for innovative technologies: Zimmer Medizinsysteme at 

KIMES in Seoul. The annual Korean International Medical & Hospital 

Equipment Show is an excellent networking opportunity. 

Photo: Zimmer Medizinsysteme 

Relies on South Korea: 

Thomas Herrmann, CEO of 

Herrmann Ultrasonics, 

shown with trainee Soon- 

Woo Huang from the sales 

representative Ecosonic. 

Photo: Herrmann Ultrasonics 

billion in 2017 and is expected to increase 

to USD 5.9 billion for 2018. 

Roughly two thirds of the demand are 

covered by imports. The USA contributed 

to nearly 50 percent of imports with 

goods worth USD 1.6 billion in 2017. 

Next followed Germany (USD 549 

million), Japan (349 million), and 

Switzerland (159 million). Foreign trade 

agency Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) 

reports imports from Germany rose 

faster than average by 15.9 percent. Overall, 

industry imports increased by 10.9 

percent. 

Growing demand 

for premium products 

“The market is characterised by high development 

and rapid growth,” says Gerold 

Gabele, head of exports for Physical 

Therapy at Zimmer Medizinsysteme in 

Neu-Ulm/Germany. The demand for premium 

products like those supplied by 

Zimmer for physical therapy and aesthetic 

medicine is growing strongly. 

Zimmer works in South Korea together 

with distribution partners. The majority 

of the business is concentrated on staterun 

hospitals and private clinics in Seoul, 

including the metropolitan area Sudogwon, 

where roughly half of the 51 million 

residents live. According to Gabele, the 

Soleo SonoStim products for electrotherapy, 

ultrasound therapy, and combined 

therapy are currently very popular in 

physical therapy, and the enPuls devices 

for shockwave therapy are in higher and 

higher demand. 

As one of numerous European manufacturers, 

Zimmer had a booth at the Korean 

International Medical & Hospital 

Equipment Show (Kimes) in Seoul again 

in 2019. Held each year in March, Kimes 

is an excellent networking opportunity. In 

2018, around 1,350 exhibitors and 

75,000 guests attended. 

Market relies on growth 

and bilateral relations 

For the rapidly growing domestic sector, 

Kimes is the platform for showcasing 

innovative technologies and products, including 

from the areas of robotics, 3D 

printing, and wearables. The Moon 

government wants to promote the de - 

velopment of innovative healthcare technologies 

and pave the way for faster marketing 

approval. 

South Korea’s technology giant Samsung 

is also one of the large domestic 

manufacturers of medical technology and 

offers imaging devices and diagnostic accessories. 

Together with Samsung, engineering 

company Herrmann Ultrasonics 

from the Baden city of Karlsbad/Germany 

implemented a demanding welding project: 

a medical test cassette for blood 

analysis. “Ultrasonic welding has replaced 

an adhesive step including UV curing,” explains 

CEO Thomas Herrmann. This is 

necessary to receive approval from the 

FDA for North America, which opens access 

to global sales. 

In industries like automotive and electronics, 

South Korea has already proven it 

can compete at the very top, which makes 

this market extremely attractive, states 

Herrmann. It is modern, oriented to 

growth and bilateral relations, and open 

to the West—in the customer as well as 

supplier role. Herrmann Ultrasonics has 

been in Korea since 2009 and sells ultrasonic 

welding machines for medical device 

parts made of thermoplastic mate - 

rials. A local sales representative helps 

customers from application consulting to 

production optimisation, including sales 

and after-sales support. 

“We work through our partner company 

Ecosonic to smooth out intercultural 

differences more quickly and penetrate 

the market more efficiently,” says Herrmann. 

His company relies heavily on 

South Korea: “The fact that the son of 

Ecosonic’s managing director started a 

one-year training programme with us in 

Karlsbad underscores this partnership.” ■ 

Bettina Gonser 

Journalist from Stuttgart/Germany 

Additional information 

On the Dräger enterprise: 

www.draeger.com 

On Zimmer Medizinsysteme: 

www.zimmer.de/en 

On Herrmann Ultrasonics: 

www.herrmannultraschall.com 


■ [ MEDICINE IN DIALOGUE ] 

AI HAS GREAT POTENTIAL, BUT 

HAS TO BE DONE WELL ETHICALLY 

AI in medicine from an ethical perspective | Engineers, medical professionals, and 

ethicists must work more closely together to take advantage of the opportunities offered 

by learning algorithms. Even though there are ethical frameworks for new technologies 

in medicine, many detailed questions remain open, reports Ethics Professor 

from Munich Alena Buyx. 

■ Professor Buyx, which ethical questions 

are asked in medicine? 

Basically, ethics deals with good and 

just actions—in other words, what we 

should and should not do and how we 

justify that. Given the great advancements 

in many areas, we now often 

find ourselves also asking whether we 

want to implement everything that we 

can in medicine. 

When a system is capable 

of self-learning, a whole 

slew of new ethical 

questions are raised. 

Photo: Klaus Ranger 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Artificial intelligence in medicine 

Ethical framework and detailed 

questions on patient applications 

New interdisciplinary concept of 

“ethical technology development” 

Dr. med. Alena Buyx is Professor of Ethics in 

Medicine and Health Technologies at the 

Technical University of Munich (TU Munich) 

and has been a member of the German 

Ethics Council since 2016. 

■ Where do these questions come up in 

medicine? 

Medical ethics can be broadly divided 

into three areas: The first is clinical 

ethics, which is concerned, for example, 

with how to choose the best treatment 

for a patient or what can happen if a 

doctor suggests something but the patient 

has different wishes. At the end of 

life, a common question is when is it 

right to limit therapy. The second area 

is innovation and research ethics, which 

deal with how new things should be researched, 

what risks researchers should 

expect, how a clinical study is designed 

ethically—but also, for example, 

whether and which manipulations on 

human embryos should be allowed. The 

third area concerns socio-ethical questions. 

Two examples are the fair distribution 

of limited resources and optin 

or opt-out for organ donation. 


Industrie 

About the German Ethics Council 

The German Ethics 

Council comprises 26 

experts and deals with 

topics from various 

areas that could have 

consequences for individuals 

through life 

sciences and their applications 

in humans, 

and for society as a 

whole. The Council 

discusses natural 

science, medical, and legal questions, 

amongst others. 

The members of the Ethics Council are 

recommended by the German Federal 

Government and the German Parliament. 

They cannot be members of Parliament 

or of the Government. This is to ensure 

the independence of the council. 

The monthly sessions are public. 

The Ethics Council encourages social discussion 

through public events and de - 

velops opinion papers and recommendations 

for politics and the legislature. 

For example, in 2017 it published an 

opinion paper on “Big Data and 

Health—Data Sovereignty as the Shaping 

of Informational Freedom.” It covered 

According to the Ethics Council, big data 

may not affect the data sovereignty of 

the people. 

the opportunities and risks of digitalisation. 

Legal, extra-legal, and technical 

framework conditions are needed to ensure 

“that people can exercise and deve - 

lop their data sovereignty.” 

The opinion on Big Data and Health 

can be downloaded as a PDF file (in German). 

https://bit.ly/2UCJmLk 

On the Ethics Council: 

www.ethikrat.org 

Photo: issaronow/Fotolia 

The 

network of 

expertise 

for industry 

18 media brands for all major 

sectors of industry 

Information, inspiration and 

networking for professionals 

and industry executives 

Practical knowledge spanning 

all media channels: Trade journals, 

websites, events, newsletters, 

whitepapers, webinars 

■ What challenges for ethics do artificial 

intelligence and big data introduce? 

The things currently being done in AI in 

terms of medicine are still mostly at 

the early experimental phase. The first 

algorithms are published, but there 

have not yet been large trials on resul - 

ting products. Thus, we face questions 

regarding innovation and research 

ethics. We have ethics frameworks from 

other developments in biomedicine 

that we can translate for medical digitalization, 

and this process is currently 

ongoing. However, we are talking about 

broad frameworks. In detail, much will 

still need to be discussed for specific 

applications. Unique to AI so far is the 

autonomy of some systems, their 

ability to learn themselves—which is 

where they might slip through established 

frameworks of medical oversight. 

If medical professionals no longer 

understand how the system reached a 

decision, how should we assess that 

decision from an ethical perspective? 

Finding answers here is a challenge and 

a very exciting task. 

■ How intensely have ethicists dealt 

with this subject so far? 

Digitalisation has been around for se - 

veral decades already. There are EUwide 

and international ethical frameworks 

and suggestions from various institutions, 

rules that companies like 

Google or Microsoft have written, and 

also very specific, somewhat older 

works on, e.g., cyborg rights that are 

now again becoming relevant. The first 

guiding principles are, therefore, already 

in place. We are now confronted 

with AI in many concrete forms, however. 

There are avatars for the treatment 

of a mental illness, algorithms 

that support surgeons during surgery, 

or virtual reality training programmes 

for educating radiologists. Every trans- 

Discover the appropriate 

media for your specific 

industry sector: 

konradin.de/industrie 

01/2019 medicine&tec hn ology 17 

media.industrie.de

■ [ MEDICINE IN DIALOGUE ] 

lation of a technology designed to be 

used near the hospital bed poses different 

ethical questions in detail. Answe - 

ring them is a task we still need to complete. 

■ What role does ethics need to play 

in the development of digital medical 

devices? 

The right considerations should be factored 

in from the very beginning. Technical 

experts do not need to do this 

alone. Ethicists exist—please, ask us. 

Digital engineers influence and change 

our world to a previously unfamiliar 

extent, not only in medicine. Hence, I 

wish that developers and companies 

would be more open to considering 

ethical questions. Taking them into 

account also increases acceptance of 

devices amongst users. 

■ Who can best answer ethical 

questions? 

For medical AI, that can best be done by 

interdisciplinary teams made up of engineers, 

medical professionals, and 

ethicists. All sides need to be brought in 

as soon as possible so the right questions 

are asked during programming: 

What parameters should or must I consider? 

What happens if an error occurs? 

In Munich, we are working on these approaches, 

which we, in technology development, 

call embedded ethics. There 

hasn’t been anything like this before, 

and the process is challenging. It can, 

however, lead us to best-practice models 

that we can more easily transfer to 

other applications later. 

■ The fact that an AI is able to calculate 

human survival probability is unnerving 

at first glance. What do you make of such 

developments? 

Medical professionals are already using 

what are known as risk scores before 

every operation to make themselves 

aware of the patient’s state of health 

and to plan the right measures for a 

procedure. AI makes these assessments 

more precise, more individual, and is, in 

some circumstances, real-time-capable: 

It can also factor in changes to the risk 

AI research in Munich 

The Munich School of Robotics and Machine 

Intelligence (MSRM) directed by 

Prof. Sami Haddadin is an integrative research 

centre at TU Munich. MSRM 

studies the principles of robotics, perception, 

and artificial intelligence. More than 

30 professors from the fields of philo - 

sophy, law, and ethics, like Prof. Alena 

Buyx, share their expertise here. This approach 

is designed to ensure responsible 

technology development and integration 

into society. 

during the process. Whether and how 

this option influences the work of doctors 

and whether they want something 

like this is what we are currently studying 

in a project at TU Munich. The 

German Ethics Council said that highly 

predictive risk profiles, a type of life expectancy 

prediction for individual 

people, need to be prohibited for use in 

statutory health insurance funds. We 

rarely issue such calls for bans, but did 

in this case. Even if health predictions 

are possible in principle based on giant 

datasets, life circumstances and, with 

them, risk factors can change quickly at 

any time. And AI-based risk prediction, 

like “this or any treatment for the patient 

is not worth it anymore,” could remove 

the solidarity principle in healthcare. 

■ What opportunities does AI offer? 

The potential that AI offers medicine is 

huge. Anticipating risks can make us 

uncomfortable. But in medical cases, 

the opportunity arises to practice prevention 

very individually and to ensure 

that the prediction does not come true. 

Specifically, the advantage can be explained 

using chemotherapy: A particular 

Patient should undergo this stressful 

and taxing treatment only when the 

prognosis afterwards is good, and the 

prediction might tell us about that. 

Scientific and technical results, such as 

on the future of health, work, and mobi - 

lity, are intended to be applied to the real 

world in this way. 

MSRM establishes a close relationship 

with industrial partners and founders of 

high-tech start-ups as part of the industrial 

advisory board. 

www.msrm.tum.de 

■ How well prepared are users—medical 

professionals—to use the new digital 

technologies? 

Medical professionals face ethical questions 

in their training, and the entire 

field works with vulnerable people who 

are ill. That requires healthcare providers 

to act responsibly. Patients are 

dependent; it is often a matter of life 

and death. So overall, doctors are well 

prepared. In the use of new digital 

technologies, more technical expertise 

amongst doctors would be desirable, as 

would more expertise on medical ethical 

matters amongst engineers. This is 

a challenge for university policy stra - 

tegy. 

■ A study showed that two thirds of the 

german population favour the use of AI 

in medicine. What do you think, should 

we be wanting more AI? 

Yes. Artificial intelligence is a very exciting 

topic that takes us beyond our previous 

levels of expertise. Naturally, it is 

fun to work in such a field. But the AI 

must be made well in an ethical sense. 

The technology has potential and the 

population is open to it, which was also 

shown in the study. We should not 

jump the gun. We should move forward 

but we do need to act well deliberately 

and tackle all ethical questions. 

Dr Birgit Oppermann 

birgit.oppermann@konradin.de 


Medtech needs you: 

ambitious suppliers. 

Medical Technology Expo 

5 – 7 May 2020 · Messe Stuttgart 

Enjoy a promising package of benefits with T4M: a trade fair, 

forums, workshops and networking opportunities. Discover new 

technologies,innovative processes and a wide range of materials 

for the production and manufacturing of medical technology. 

Book your stand now!

Medical technology fair redesigned 

Following the successful premiere in 2019, Messe Stuttgart is organising the second 

T4M – Technology for Medical Devices from 5–7 May 2020. Benefit from the promising 

combination: T4M combines trade fair, forums, workshops and networking. Discover 

new technologies, innovative processes and a wide variety of materials for the production 

and manufacture of medical technology. 

Top 4 

exhibition areas* 

44 % 

manufacturing 

technology 

39 % 

production 

environment 

40 % 

components 

and materials 

29 % 

services 

Feedback from exhibitors at the first 

T4M trade fair: 

“T4M‘s focus on manufacturing and production 

is perfectly aligned with our portfolio and 

the event is very well organized.” 

Giampaolo Meana, General Manager, Qosina Corp. 

“T4M in Stuttgart has attracted high-quality 

visitors from large multinational companies.” 

Tony Crofts, Sales & Marketing Director, Shawpak 

Riverside Medical Packaging Company Limited 

Decision-makers 

65 % 

of the visitors are involved 

in pur chase and procurement 

decisions 

* Multiple answers possible 

Visitor groups by sectors* 

16 % 16 % 

implants 

surgical 

instruments 

20 % 

focus on 

Electromedicine / 

Electronics 

3.163 

25 

visitors of the exhibition 

from 

countries 

visitors from abroad: 16 % 

10 % 

services, mainly 

certifications 

and consulting 

“We have made a number of useful new 

contacts here in Stuttgart.” 

Sascha Gersmann, Head of Marketing & Key Account 

Manager, Citizen Machinery Europe GmbH Riverside 

Medical Packaging Company Limited 

These companies 

have visited us in 2019: 

Dürr Dental Bayer Medi1one medical 

SAMSUNG Medical MED-EL Stryker 

Robert Bosch Roche Diagnostics Evonik 

Geistliche Pharma Aesculap Olympus 

Zimmer Medizin Systems 

Siemens Healthcare 

QIAGEN 

Fresenius 

Maquet Philipps Dräger 

Erbe Elektromedizin 

and many more 

Any questions? We are here to help! 

Tanja Wendling 

Email: tanja.wendling@messe-stuttgart.de 

Telephone: +49 711 18560-2186 

Promotional supporters 

Book your stand now: 

T4M-expo.com/stand-booking

Trade fair 

Compamed/Medica 2019 

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf, Constanze Tillmann 

Competence Platform for Medical Technology 

Industry meeting in Dusseldorf | Medical-grade plastics | Development services | Laser processing 

01/2019 medicine&technology 21

■ [ TRADE FAIR ] 

DIGITALISATION IS A KEY FOCUS 

AREA FOR MEDICA AND COMPAMED 

Industry meeting in Dusseldorf | Compamed has established itself in the medical device 

sector as a hotspot for high-tech solutions for medical device manufacturers. 

Both Compamed and Medica, which will be happening at the same time, will focus on 

digitalisation, miniaturisation and the requirements of the MDR. 

Despite the general downturn in the economy, 

the market for medical devices and 

medical equipment remains robust and 

growth-oriented. Nevertheless, Diener 

believes that the sector faces a number of 

challenges going forward. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Compamed trade fair 

Medica trade fair 

New trade fair structure 

Comprehensive general programme 

Ohoto : Messe Düsseldorf/Constanze Tillmann 

Wolfram Diener is the 

Managing Director of Messe 

Düsseldorf. 

The tandem Compamed and 

Medica trade fairs have established 

themselves as an internationally 

leading market and 

information platform for the 

medical technology sector. 

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf 

Both halls are due to be completely full 

once again at Compamed 2019. 800 

exhibitors from almost 40 nations will be 

in attendance at the industry meeting, 

which will be running alongside the 

Medica medical trade fair between 18 and 

21 November. The industry meeting in 

Dusseldorf is now a key date in the calendar 

for many medical device suppliers, as 

confirmed by Wolfram Diener, Managing 

Director of Messe Düsseldorf: “Companies 

attend Compamed to showcase 

their commitment to innovation and assert 

themselves in a market environment 

which is more challenging than ever.” 

Pressure on margins, 

MDR and Brexit 

“Increased trade restrictions, lengthy approval 

procedures, increased pressure on 

margins and Brexit – the situation in the 

market right now means that players need 

to be resilient in many different areas. 

What is needed most as a focus on the future 

of the industry and close partnerships 

between suppliers, medical equipment 

providers and users. Compamed 

and Medica provide a unique combination 

and the ideal platform for forging 

partnerships and fostering business relationships,” 

explained Wolfram Diener 

when asked about the healthy attendance 

figures. In total, around 6100 exhibitors 

will be showcasing their new products 

and technologies. 

They range from small SMEs through 

to major groups like Covestro, Evonik and 

Panasonic. Microtechnology will once 

again be well represented at Compamed 

2019. According to a recent industry survey 

conducted by the IVAM Microtechnology 

Network, more than half of European 

micro-technology companies are involved 

in the medical technology market and the 

healthcare sector. In fact, one in five of 

the companies surveyed said that the 

medical technology market was their 

most important target market. It is therefore 

no surprise that the “High-tech for 

Medical Devices” product market of the 

IVAM Microtechnology Network will be 

the largest shared booth at Compamed, 

with around 50 exhibitors covering 700 

m2 in hall 8A. This product market will 


More digital health at Medica 

Digitalisation is becoming more and 

more commonplace in medicine. It is also 

having a significant impact on product 

development and business processes,” 

said CEO Wolfram Diener. A change has 

been made to the structure of the Medica 

trade fair due to the increased interest 

in digital health and the digital transformation. 

Attendees at the trade fair between 

18 and 21 November will notice 

that some subject areas have 

been allocated to a different 

hall: The information and communication 

technology segment 

has been reallocated from 

Hall 15 to Hall 13, and now has a 

direct connection to the halls 

dedicated to medical technology 

and electromedicine (Halls 

9 to 14). 

In future, the popular Medica 

Connected Healthcare Forum 

and Medica Health IT Forum will 

provide sessions and presentations 

about digital health trends 

for the public in Hall 13. Around 

10,000 attendees at last year’s 

showcase innovations in the key technologies 

of microtechnology, nanotechnology, 

photonics and new materials. 

Microtechnology and usability 

are important 

The field of microtechnology is experiencing 

a particularly strong boost as a result 

of miniaturisation and digitalisation 

trends. Medical devices, instruments and 

products are getting more and more compact 

and easier to use, whilst also seeing 

an increase in performance and networking 

options. As a result, medical technology 

providers need their suppliers to provide 

small format high-tech components, 

like actuators, chips, cameras, sensors, 

wireless modules, batteries and data storage. 

Examples of these include micro-endoscopes, 

lab on a chip applications for 

rapid diagnostic tests and a wide range of 

implants. 

Halls 8A and 8B at tDusseldorf Exhibition 

Centre will focus on components 

for medical technology, materials and 

tools, microtechnology and nanotechno - 

logy, electronics manufacturing services 

trade fair were interested in these subject 

areas. 

Hall 13 will also see the Medica Start-up 

Park transformed into a platform for the 

creative, digitally driven start-up scene. It 

will also host the shared booths for the 

Wearables Technologies Show and Entscheiderfabrik, 

which will be presenting 

best practice projects for the digitalisation 

of hospitals. 

In future, Hall 13 at Medica will focus on 

digital issues in healthcare. 

(EMS) or electronics contract manufacturing, 

complex manufacturing and 

equipment partnerships, and packaging 

and services. 

The product show will be completed 

with a general programme with a great 

deal of variety. The Compamed Suppliers 

Forum (Hall 8b) will focus on the entire 

process chain involved in the manufacture 

of medical technology. The Compamed 

High-Tech Forum (Hall 8a) of the 

IVAM Microtechnology Network is 

centred around microsystem technology, 

nanotechnologies, production technology 

and process control. 

Compamed is aimed primarily at technical 

purchasers, specialists from research 

and development and packaging, heads 

of production, designers, and process engineers. 

Around 120,000 industry visitors 

attended Medica and Compamed in the 

previous year, with almost 20,000 interested 

specifically in the subject areas 

covered by Compamed. 

■ 

Susanne Schwab 

susanne.schwab@konradin.de 

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf, Constanze Tillmann 

Your Innovative 

System Partner 

For plastic processing in the 

medical industry. Technical 

product development, clean room 

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Visit us at COMPAMED 

hall 8b | stand J31 

Röchling Medical. Passion for 01/2019 medicine&technology 23 Health. 

www.roechling-medical.com


NEW ADDITIVE FOR SMOOTH 

SYNTHETIC MATERIALS 

Medical-grade plastics | Raumedic wants to use a new biocompatible additive to improve 

the sliding properties of its medical-grade plastic components whilst maintaining 

the mechanical and chemical properties of the underlying material. 

Raumedic AG manufactures medical 

grade plastic compounds, and has 

been testing a new additive along with a 

base polymer for over half a year. The new 

material can be added to thermoplastic 

elastomers, polyamides, polystyrenes and 

polyolefins. These combinations reduce 

the coefficient of friction significantly, 

leading to improved sliding properties. 

The company performed comparative 

tests on extrudates with and without the 

additive to demonstrate that the material 

has no significant impact on parameters 

like dimensional stability, flow rate and 

tensile strength. 

Intended use 

for catheter products 

It should also be possible to use the material 

for radio-opaque applications and 

customer-specific colour schemes. “We 

think this material has the potential to improve 

our catheter products significantly, 

as the decreased friction would make 

them easier to insert into the body. It 

would also make it easier to move any 

Photo: Raumedic 

Dr. Katharina 

Neumann’s team 

performed a comprehensive 

set of 

chemical and mechanical 

tests for the 

new material combinations, 

in addition 

to a series of 

processing trials. 

guide wires,” explained Dr. Katharina 

Neuman, Head of the Material Chemistry 

Department at the Helmbrechts-based 

company. 

The new combination of materials can 

also be used to optimise syringe systems. 

“The additive is suitable for any application 

where you want one synthetic material 

to slide smoothly against another 

one,” explained Dr. Katharina Neumann 

concisely. This means that the additive 

could be used for regional anaesthesia, 

drug administration and minimally invasive 

surgery. 

The new combination also has the 

potential to cut costs, Dr. Katharina 

Neumann explains: “Thermoplastic PTFE 

is relatively expensive. Our new compound 

could be a more cost-effective alternative,” 

That’s why she believes manufacturers 

should take a closer look at the 

material before starting the process of developing 

a new medical device. ■ 

Tina Lück 

Raumedic, Helmbrechts/Germany 

Medical Grade 

Plastics and MDR 

Raumedic follows the requirements 

of the Medical Grade Plastics directive 

for the materials which it processes. 

As a result, it is crucially important 

to provide evidence of biocompatibility 

in accordance with 

European and American regulations. 

The company is also committed to 

complying with the requirements of 

the directive related to the procurement 

and consistency of polymer 

materials. 

Raumedic is also familiar with the 

enhanced requirements laid out in 

the new Medical Device Regulation, 

the transition period for which is set 

to end in May 2020. The company 

ensures that its processes and the 

materials which it uses are sufficiently 

validated, qualified and in 

line with the requirements of the 

new MDR. The material specialists 

in Helmbrecht also help its business 

partners with the new legislation so 

that the final product can be properly 

registered in line with the new 

regulation. They do this by providing 

relevant information and documentation 

about the components which 

they use for the purpose of approval 

www.raumedic.com 

At Compamed: Hall 8a, Stand F28 


WATCHMAKING AND JEWELLERY MICROTECHNOLOGIES MEDTECH 

16 - 19 JUNE 2020 

GENEVA PALEXPO 

OVER 

800 

EXHIBITORS 

20,000 

PROFESSIONAL VISITORS 

WWW.EPHJ.CH 



NEW THERAPIES: HEART VALVES 

WITH NITINOL SCAFFOLD 

Laser treatment |Minimally invasive treatment with replacement valves is increasingly 

taking the place of conventional open-heart surgery. The hybrid valves based on a Nitinol 

scaffold are cut using a fibre laser system. 

Nitinol is being used more and more in medical technology – the memory metal can be 

mechanically deformed before regaining its original shape when it is exposed to a specific 

temperature. 

The human heart needs four main 

valves to function correctly to maintain 

the efficiency of the body’s systemic 

and pulmonary circulation. Some people 

are born with congenital heart defects. 

Many others suffer from acquired defects 

due to various causes, such as chronic 

high blood pressure or chronic obesity. 

In recent decades, medical researchers 

have developed a wide variety of heart 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Processing with the fibre laser 

Minimally invasive heart valve 

replacement 

Sophisticated nitinol scaffold 

Medical approval has been requested for 

the valves in Europe and the USA 

Photo : STI Laser Industries 

valve replacement options which can restore 

a patient’s quality of life or (in the 

worst case scenario) prevent death due to 

heart failure. Denatured heart valves can 

be taken from animals, normally pigs, to 

replace defective mitral valves. Other 

technologies include mechanical aortic 

valves. Recent years have seen the use of 

valves with tissue grown from the stem 

cells of the patient using a synthetic or 

animal scaffold. 

Each one of these options has their 

own drawbacks. Mechanical valves involve 

a significant risk of thrombosis, and 

commit the patient to taking blood 

thinners. Valves made from biotech material 

tend to shrink and become permeable 

over time as the tissue is slowly 

absorbed by the body. All of these valves 

also involve major open heart surgery, 

which is painful, risky and expensive. 

Furthermore, this procedure is ruled 

out for many patients due to the advanced 

stage of their illness, their age or other 

medical issues. This is reason enough to 

develop a range of new valve types, and 

even more importantly, the transcatheter 

valve replacement. 

These newer heart valve designs are 

multilayered structures on nitinol scaffolds. 

STI Laser Industries, based in Or 

Akiva, specialises in laser cutting, micromaterial 

processing and finishing medical 

products. The Israeli company is one of 

the main manufacturers of nitinol heart 

valve frames, as explained by CEO and 

Board Member Tovy Sivan: “STI has a 

long tradition of manufacturing medical 

products, with a focus on laser cutting 

and welding. We use many different types 

of laser to process a wide variety of pro - 

ducts and materials.” 

Laser cutting 

of nitinol scaffolds 

The lasers used by the company range 

from traditional optically pumped 

Nd:YaG lasers through to cutting-edge 

ultra-short pulse lasers, which are used to 

manufacture medical consumables made 

from synthetic material. “Almost all of 

these lasers come from Rofin (now called 

Coherent),” says Sivan. He is convinced 

that the new hybrid valves will revo - 

lutionise the treatment of heart valve defects 

in the near future. 

Using nitinol is the key to unlocking 

minimally invasive valve replacements 

using catheters. Nitinol is a nickel-titanium 

alloy with a shape memory. After 

processing, a structure made from a 

shape-memory alloy is thermally treated 

to preserve its shape. The part will then 

always return to its original shape when it 

is heated above its transformation temperature, 

even if it is twisted, bent or 

otherwise deformed. By optimising the 

nickel/titanium ratio and adding a small 

amount of additives, this transformation 


The fibre laser cuts the scaffolds for heart valves made from nitinol tube material. 

temperature can be set to a range of between 

10 to 20°C lower than human body 

temperature. Using a nitinol frame means 

that the valve can be mechanically compressed 

until it reaches 20% of its original 

diameter. This means that even a large 

valve like a mitral valve can be inserted 

through the femoral artery using a catheter. 

The valve retains its original 

shape at body temperature 

Once the valve has reached the heart, the 

surgeon carefully extracts it from the 

transport system. When exposed to body 

temperature, the valve recovers its original 

shape and anchors itself in position. 

Photo: STI Laser Industries 

Only the scaffold is made from nitinol, according 

to Sivan. STI supply these customer-specific 

nitinol scaffolds to medical 

device manufacturers, who then attach 

the valves and a sheath made from denatured 

animal tissue. Any exposed metal 

would increase the risk of thrombosis and 

valve stenosis. 

The Israeli medical device manufacturer 

already produces nitinol structures 

for three different heart valve types: aortic 

valves, mitral valves and shunts for 

regulating the pressure between the right 

and left chambers of the heart. The dia - 

meters required range between 10 and 30 

mm. STI begin the process by cutting the 

support structures out of the raw nitinol 

tube material. The company then uses a 

Coherent Starcut Tube SL tube cutting 

system with a Star Fiber 320 FC fibre laser 

at a wavelength of approximately one μm. 

The Starcut uses a fixed lens and highprecision 

rotation and linear axes to move 

the tube, and cuts three-dimensional 

structures out of the tube material with 

an exceptionally high level of precision. 

STI then ensures that the support structures 

have the required shape before 

using an electropolishing process to prepare 

them for the biocompatible sheath. 

Sivan summarises the main advantages 

of the fibre laser cutting system as 

follows: “This approach requires a high 

level of precision, repeatability and outstanding 

surface quality. We also have to 

keep the time required for these highly 

complex contour cutting processes to a 

minimum. Our fibre laser system meets 

these requirements and provides additional 

advantages.” Some of these valve 

types have already been approved in 

Europe. Clinical trials in the USA have 

reached an advanced stage. Sivan is confident 

that these new products will soon 

have a positive impact on the outcome of 

many heart valve operations. 

■ 

Roland Wölzlein 

Coherent, Santa Clara, CA, USA 

www.coherent.com 

At Compamed: Hall 8a, Stand F35 

BRINGING YOUR MEDICAL 

DEVICES TO LIFE 

How can Aerotech help? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit aerotech.co.uk or Call +44 1256 855055 

medicine&technology 

AH0719C-LPM-LTD


Assistance with the development 

of IVD analysers 

Fluid management | In-vitro diagnostics make it possible to provide targeted 

care for patients. Bürkert Fluid Control Systems makes this possible by 

developing modules for IVD analysers. 

Photo: Bürkert Fluid Control Systems 

Fluid management solution for in vitro 

diagnostics: Bürkert’s system specialists 

worked together with the OEM to develop a 

dosing unit for a new analyser. 

New in-vitro diagnostic devices must 

provide advantages in terms of performance, 

precision, specificity and sensitivity. 

They also need to reduce overall 

costs whenever possible. This is a challenge 

for developers. However, help is 

available from Bürkert GmbH & Co. KG’s 

system houses at Bürkert Fluid Control 

Systems. The Ingelfingen-based engineers 

developed a new solution for an IVD 

analyser for the precise and reliable 

measurement, control and regulation of 

flow rates in dosing units. Five different 

versions of the analyser are available. The 

engineers also needed to reduce the 

model diversity of the integrated dosing 

units and integrate the installed components. 

These consist of two or three 

valves, a pressure sensor and a filter, all 

on a transparent injection moulded plate. 

The OEM responsible for developing the 

dosing unit turned to the system specialists 

at Bürkert to help them overcome 

these challenges in as little time as possible. 

The engineers developed a base 

module which is compatible with all five 

models of the analyser. It consists of a 

translucent and UV-resistant material 

which makes it possible to integrate a 

window for inspecting the pump 

chamber. Users can then adapt the various 

components to this base module. Following 

this basic design phase, the engineers 

turned their attention to the dead 

space in the system with a view to optimising 

the analyser’s cleaning process. 

www.burkert.co.uk/en 

At Compamed: Hall 8b, Stand H07 

Sensors 

Low pressure sensor for life-saving applications 

Laser technology 

Microprocessing of medical 

components 

Ventilation and dialysis equipment 

require special sensor models. Precision 

components are also used for diagnostic 

purposes, particularly for CT equipment 

and endoscopes. First Sensor AG, Berlin 

will be presenting their L and H series low 

pressure sensors at Compamed. These 

range from reinforced low pressure sensors 

in the HCLA and HDT series through 

to high-sensitivity ultra-low pressure sensors 

in the LMI, LME and LDE series. They 

are used in ventilation equipment to detect 

even small breaths taken by a patient. 

The manufacturer also provides reliable 

Visitors can 

see First 

Sensor’s low 

pressure 

sensors at 

Compamed. 

Photo: First Sensor 

sensors and tailored sensor systems for 

ventilation purposes. These include highsensitivity 

rapid thermal MEMS flow sensors. 

First Sensor has a flexible supply 

chain and a complete range of construction 

and connection technology at its disposal 

in order to provide comprehensive 

integrated solutions. 

It will also be presenting HDI and HCE 

sensors equipped with digital interfaces. 

These are used by health professionals for 

dialysis purposes. First Sensor also provides 

multi-sensor modules which are 

used to integrate numerous components 

like valves, pumps or microcontrollers. 

The sensor company will also be showcasing 

diagnostic solutions at Compamed. 

For instance, the provider produces largescale 

x-ray detector arrays for computer 

tomography. 

www.first-sensor.com 

At Compamed: Hall 8a, Stand L14 

Meko Laser Material Processing produces 

components with demanding tolerances 

and a high service quality for companies 

in the medical sector. The Sarstedt-based 

company will be attending Compamed to 

exhibit its high precision laser systems 

which can be used to laser process metals 

and bioresorbable materials with tolerances 

of less than 5 μm . Modern ultrashort 

pulse lasers are used for high precision 

cutting and drilling. They also provide 

clean and perfect cut surfaces. 

In addition to the precise laser cutting of 

implants like stents and cardiac valve 

frames, one of Meko’s core competencies 

is the laser drilling of microscopic holes 

for drug delivery balloon catheters. Their 

laser systems can create holes with a 

diameter as small as 2 μm. These tiny 

holes allow the catheters to release medication 

when they dilate. 

www.meko.de 

At Compamed: Hall 8a, Stand J07 


Absorbable Implant 

Stabilises Spine 

Polymers | Spine Welding received FDA approval for its 

screw system for spinal stabilisation. The system includes 

a bioabsorbable component made by Samaplast. 

Photo: Spine Welding 

The screw system 

for stabilising the 

spine received FDA 

approval. 

The new screw system made by Spine Welding AG in 

Schlieren facilitates the fixation and stabilisation of spinal 

segments in patients with a fully developed skeleton and is used 

for several diseases. One part of the new Elaris Pedicle Screw 

System, the Elaris Pin, is made by Samaplast AG, St. Margrethen, 

out of a bioabsorbable polymer and stabilises the spinal segments 

being treated. This absorbable material is decomposed by 

the body’s metabolic processes after a certain amount a time and 

disintegrates in water and CO 2 

. To ensure this type of implantable 

polymer is clean and free of residual materials, Samaplast 

manufactures these devices in GMP cleanrooms of ISO Class 7 

and monitors permanently the ambient conditions like air humidity, 

temperature, air pressure, and particles. 

With their many years of experience in processing absorbable 

polymers and implants, the Swiss experts get involved in the process 

as early as possible during product development. Flaws and 

errors can be eliminated from the beginning through design and 

development support and the construction of components and 

tools. Samaplast makes the high-precision steel tools needed for 

error-free production in its own tool shop. Samaplast processes, 

in addition to absorbable implants, other implant materials like 

PEEK, PSU, and PPSU, and it manufactures instruments made 

from other polymers for the medical market. 

www.samaplast.ch 

At Compamed: Hall 8b, Booth C20 

starlim is a world leader 

in the processing of 

liquid silicone. 

Originating from Marchtrenk, our parts reach the whole world and are 

widely used in medical technology, industrial applications and in the 

automotive industry. As a full-service provider, we take care of the 

entire production chain – from the initial idea to the finished product. 

This way, we save valuable time and resources. 

www.starlim.com 

Visit us at COMPAMED 

Duesseldorf, Germany 

18. - 21.11.2019 - Hall 8a booth L04 



Multilayer film for 

sterile touch keyboards 

Sterility in the operating theatre| Saxonymed GmbH 

has developed Stertouch Pro, a multilayer film which 

makes it possible to operate displays in a sterile 

manner without making them difficult to read. 

More and more surgical environments are being kitted out 

with touch displays. Reichenbach-based Saxonymed 

GmbH developed a multilayer film to prevent these displays 

being contaminated by surgeons. The film makes it possible to 

touch surfaces without obscuring valuable information on the 

screen or having a negative impact on sterility. In addition to 

touchscreens, Stertouch Pro can also be applied to buttons like 

eyeglass keypad or when using a touchpad to control an endoscopy 

tower. 

The system which Saxonymed will be presenting at Medica is a 

sterile multilayer film system: the central element is a seethrough 

PE film which does not affect image quality or usability, 

and can also be used to display medically relevant images. One of 

the main focus areas for Stertouch Pro was the special acrylate 

adhesive, as traditional film adhesives have a significant 

negative impact on image quality and leave adhesive remnants 

on the monitor. These issues were solved in partnership with the 

Belgian company Nitto Belgium NV. The film itself is sterile, 

guaranteeing a validated process. The company Steris in Radeberg, 

Saxony use a validated and batch-certified gamma radiation 

process to sterilise the film. Each film has a batch and serial 

Surgeons normally require assistance to prevent contamination 

as a result of them touching displays and keyboards. However, 

Stertouch Pro means that surgeons no longer require assistance 

to maintain a sterile environment when touching surfaces. 

number, in addition to a production date and information about 

the expected shelf life. 

Due to the patented layer system, Stertouch Pro can be attached 

to smooth surfaces quickly and easily, with no need for medical 

training. The film also includes a positioning strip and two pull 

tabs on the sides. Stertouch Pro is normally used for keyboards 

and displays up to 32 inches. However, the film is not limited to 

monitors or tablets. It can also be used to provide sterile protection 

for other surfaces. In fact, it can be used for any critical surface 

in an operating theatre. 

www.saxonymed.de 

At Medica: Hall 12, Stand B50 

Photo: Saxonymed 

Packaging technology 

Packaging solutions for modular wound dressings 

Health Informatics Initiative 

Improving research 

and patient care 

Photo: Optima 

Complex wound dressings frequently 

need to be cut and stretched in a particular 

way, which can be a challenge for patients. 

Optima Packaging Group GmbH, 

based in Schwäbisch Hall, will be exhibiting 

solutions for the manufacture 

and packaging of wound dressings at the 

Compamed trade fair. The Optima TDC 

125 is a scalable machine which can be 

used on a laboratory scale for both product 

development and the subsequent production 

phase. Users with a focus on high 

output will benefit from the MDC300 production 

and packaging system. Up to 600 

products per minute exit the “Advanced” 

version of the system. As a provider of 

turnkey solutions, Optima integrates 

other steps in the process, such as the 

packaging of products in sealed bags or 

boxes. The modular design of the systems 

means that they are easy to install and do 

not take up any unnecessary space. The 

line management software programme 

Opal improves the overall efficiency of the 

system. 

www.optima-packaging.com 

At Compamed: Hall 8a, Stand J12 

The autosplicers and extraction grids 

ensure that there is no downtime in production. 

The Health Informatics Initiative is 

funded by the German Federal Ministry of 

Education and Research. Its aim is to use 

IT solutions to improve research opportunities 

and patient care. The solutions 

developed as part of the initiative will 

make it possible for healthcare data and 

clinical and biomedical research data to 

be exchanged and used beyond the walls 

of institutions and locations. By doing 

this, the initiative will enable physicians, 

patients and researchers to have access to 

the information which is important to 

them. This will lead to dia gnosis and 

treatment decisions which are a better fit 

for the individual patient. 

www.medizininformatik-initiative.de 

At Medica: Hall 13, Stand F46 

30 medicine&technology 01/ 

1/201 

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Are you looking for a perfect vacuum solution? Please contact us: 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH · Germany · T +49 6441 802-0 · www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com 



The Composer is used as a controllable 

access catheter for minimally 

invasive procedures. 

Photo: Freudenberg Medical 

A PLATFORM WHICH OPENS 

A WINDOW INTO THE BODY 

Access catheter | The Composer platform is a real all-rounder: it opens up new opportunities 

for minimally invasive surgery, keeps patients safe and allows medical device 

manufacturers to reduce their development times. 

The roughly 20 cm component might 

not seem too impressive at first 

glance. However, it has a lot of spectacular 

abilities at its disposal. Freudenberg 

Medical’s team of developers spent two 

years designing the high-tech Composer 

platform for medical device manufacturers 

at its site in Jeffersonville, USA. 

Minimally invasive surgery has proven 

to be particularly successful in the field of 

cardiology. Diseases which once would 

have required open-heart surgery and the 

use of heart- lung machines can now be 

treated by specialists on an outpatient 

basis using local anaesthetic. They do this 

by inserting a small catheter into an 

artery in the patient’s groin and then 

guiding it to the part of the patient’s body 

where treatment is required. 

The Composer is a controllable access 

catheter which opens a window into the 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Composer platform 

Minimally invasive surgery 

Expansion connectors 

Development network 

body. It can be used to get a wide range of 

diagnostic or therapeutic catheters to 

their required location. For patients, this 

kind of procedure means less risk, a quicker 

recovery and fewer complaints. It enables 

physicians to provide patients with 

quicker treatment at a lower cost. 

The Composer platform 

lowers development costs 

But there is no progress without side effects: 

“The pace of innovation in the 

medical device market is truly breathtaking,” 

explains Dr Max Kley, CEO of Freudenberg 

Medical. He also believes there is 

something of a gap in the market when it 

comes to commercialisation. The rate at 

which new products are coming on to the 

market is struggling to keep up with all of 

the new ideas being explored in this field. 

That’s what inspired Freudenberg’s engineers 

to come up with the Composer. 

Officially, it is designated a “steerable access 

for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions”; 

but it’s more than just that. It 

also provides a platform which specialised 

providers can use to create their own innovations 

and market them under their 

own brand names. “Development is 

accelerated for all stakeholders, and development 

costs are reduced,” is how Kley 

summarises the benefits. Various expansions 

can be added to the Composer, making 

it suitable for a variety of applications. 

Freudenberg Medical’s Composer is a 

patented technology platform which 

opens up a wide range of possibilities 

thanks to its sophisticated design. The innovation 

has already led to 12 new pro - 

duct development projects with Freudenberg 

business partners. The interior of the 

Composer is also less complex. This was 

particularly important for one of Freudenberg’s 

strategic sales partners, which has 

worked for the company for at least seven 

years. The company is a leading provider 

of disposable medical devices. “The 

Composer is easy to dismantle, and its 

core components are easy to access. This 

allows a partner to insert an alternative 

catheter shaft so that they can provide the 

product without any loss of functionality. 

That reduces waste in a field where devices 

are frequently designed to be used 

once and then thrown away after surgery,” 

explains Kaeferlein. 

■ 

René Heilmann 

Freudenberg Medical, 

Kaiserslautern/Germany 

www.freudenbergmedical.de 

At Compamed: Hall 8b, Stand H01 



FEATURE 

Machines will Communicate 

Wirelessly on 5G 

Mobile communications | The fifth generation (5G) is far more than the successor of LTE: Manufacturers 

of medical technology can use 5G to build their own networks and advance factory 

automation. Also, 5G makes the Internet of Medical Things possible through short latency 

times and high reliability. The starting gun for new medical devices? 


Photo: Elnur/stock.adobe.com 

Don’t expect too much 

Sabine Koll 

Normally, new smartphones are all 

the hype at the Mobile World Congress 

(MWC) in Barcelona. That was so 

until February, however, when a medical 

application stole the show: the first live 

surgery on a 5G network. Specifically, 

streaming in real time took place between 

a medical team in the Hospital Clinic and 

Dr. Antonio de Lacy, Chief of Gastro - 

intestinal Surgery at Hospital Clinic, who 

was in the main auditorium at MWC. 

During the demonstration, de Lacy made 

the markings, which the surgical team in 

the hospital could see immediately, in 

the transmission of moving images. “Before 

5G, we had to freeze the picture to 

draw, but the surgeon would continue 

working, and that is not ideal,” explained 

de Lacy. The first 5G telesurgery took 

place in China at nearly the same time: A 

neuro stimulator was implanted in the 

brain of a Parkinson’s patient in Plagh 

Hospital in Peking. For the procedure, the 

physician was located in a hospital on 

Hainan island, 2,700 km away from 

Peking. 

These two examples illustrate the huge 

advantage 5G has for telemedicine: Compared 

to LTE with latencies between 40 

and 100 ms, 5G is expected to have delays 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 5G in products for medical technology 

■ 5G for production facilities 

■ Campus networks 

■ Latency 

■ Internet of Medical Things 

The new standard 5G may be the 

solution to seek out new applications 

and to advance the internet of medical 

things. Initial test environments have 

already been constructed. 

Whilst 5G can do a lot, it can’t do 

everything—especially not at the 

same time and straight away. 

of much less than 10 ms. Some experts 

are even speaking of 1 ms. The general 

public views 5G, most notably, as being 

fast with high data transmission rates of 

up to 20 Gbit/s. More important for industry, 

however, is that 5G comes with 

advantages for tackling the challenges in 

machine-to-machine communication. For 

instance, as many as one million end devices 

per square kilometre need to be able 

to send and receive. Also, 5G will be more 

than 99.999 percent reliable. 

Not all functionalities are available in 

one go, however. “The current version of 

the standard covers only the high data 

rates for the typical consumer industry. 

The other functionalities that are exciting 

for industrial applications won’t be available 

until Release 16, which is expected to 

come out at the end of 2019,” explains Dr. 

Andreas Müller. He is the Head of Communication 

and Network Technology at 

Bosch Corporate Research and, at the 

same time, Chair of the 5G Alliance for 

Connected Industries and Automation 

(5G-ACIA) in the German Electrical and 

Electronic Manufacturers’ Association 

(ZVEI). 

TU Munich: pilot study on 5G 

and medical devices 

Also Klinikum rechts der Isar, the hospital 

of the Technical University of Munich (TU 

Munich), has already examined the opportunities 

5G could offer. Between 2017 

and 2018, the Department of Surgery of 

TU Munich conducted a 12-month pilot 

study using 5G prototypes. The study 

evaluated three medical use cases: One 

was already mentioned above, telesurgery. 

“The appeal of having the surgeon in 

a separate room from the technical equipment 

doing the work is that specialists 

could offer anything from medical assistance 

to surgeries, even for people in re- 


FEATURE 

Professor Jan Stallkamp, Head of the 

Fraunhofer Project Group for Automation 

in Medicine and Biotechnology 

(PAMB) in Mannheim: “In the operating 

theatre of the future, the surgeon will 

no longer have to be physically present. 

Instead, the surgeon can operate a telesurgery 

system from a remote location. 

For this vision, you need video images in 

real time, which is what 5G promises 

with its low latency times. We want to 

test it out.” 

Photo: Fraunhofer IPA 

mote areas. Yet, we found out that 5G 

can’t let you use all its advantages at the 

same time,” says PD Dr. med. Michael 

Kranzfelder, Senior Physician of the Department 

of Surgery. “We need a large 

bandwidth with high data transmission 

rates to transmit CT data, for example. 

Yet, low latency is important for telesurgeries. 

So you have to decide what is important 

for your application. 5G technology 

cannot do everything.” Another discussion 

that needs to be had is whether 

public 5G networks are secure enough to 

have telemedical applications running on 

them. “You also need to understand that 

there will not be a ubiquitous 5G network 

in Germany. So there will be difficulties 

with applications like telesurgery in rural 

areas.” 

Transmitting ultrasound data 

on 5G 

This could also be a disadvantage for the 

second 5G scenario piloted at Klinikum 

rechts der Isar: transmitting ultrasound 

data from a moving object (like an ambulance) 

and then sending the diagnosis 

back to the point of care. “The more information 

we have on a patient and the 

earlier they arrive, the better and faster 

we can help them. With its bandwidth 

and reliability in data transmission, 5G 

could provide a breakthrough here.” 

The third scenario the medical professionals 

in Munich studied could, in 

Olli Liinamaa, Project Manager at Nokia 

Finland, oversees the 5G test network in 

Oulu: “We get greater flexibility in the 

healthcare sector with 5G. Also, 5G 

opens up the possibility for intelligence 

to be introduced into existing devices.” 

contrast, work independently of public 5G 

networks: optimising processes in the 

hospital using track & trace—of patients 

as well as equipment. “The goal would be 

to use 5G to know exactly where a patient 

is in the hospital. With this technology, we 

would be able to improve the processes in 

the hospital and reduce long wait times, 

for example,” explains Kranzfelder. In 

principle, it is already possible to know 

where the patient is located today using 

WLAN and the patient’s smartphone. “Security 

requirements and data protection 

aspects pose challenges to us in this area, 

however.” 

He envisions a clinical app for patients 

that not only is a real-time planner for 

hospital appointments, but also provides 

diagnostic information, such as from imaging 

procedures. For Kranzfelder, the 

ability to track equipment in the hospital 

Photo: Nokia 

Photo: Ypsomed 

A 5G application in the test network 

of Ypsomed, a Swiss manufacturer 

of injection and infusion 

systems for self-medication: Augmented 

reality allows quality tests 

to be conducted more quickly in 

the factory in Burgdorf in the Canton 

of Bern during the production 

process. The data are sent to the 

SAP system automatically over 5G. 


Massive machine-type 

communication (mMTC) 

● Scalable connectivity 

● Full area coverage 

● Good illumination 

inside buildings 

Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) 

● High data rates for data-intensive applications 

● Broad spectrum 

● Wide range of uses 

Number 

of devices 

Transmission 

rates 

Latency/ 

reliability 

Ultra-reliable low-latency communication 

(URLLC) 

● Ultra-reliable for business-critical 

applications 

● Low latency for real-time 

application 

● Ideal for industrial monitoring 

and control 

Illustration: Siemens 

The general public sees 5G, 

most notably, as having high 

data transmission rates of up 

to 20 Gbit/s. More important 

for industry is, however, that 

5G comes with functionalities 

for tackling the challenges in 

machine-to-machine communication 

in the Industry 4.0 

scenario. For instance, as 

many as one million end devices 

per square kilometre 

need to be able to send and 

receive in 5G networks. The 

latency times are very close 

to industrial requirements at 

up to 1 ms. The same applies 

for the reliability of more 

than 99.999 percent. 

would be another advantage of 

5G—namely if expensive medical devices 

could be located in the hospital at any 

time. “The Internet of Things has not been 

a reality in the hospital until 5G came.” 

Kranzfelder also adds that real-time imaging 

is not that easy to realise, even with 

5G—since rooms can be relatively small 

and network coverage is not ubiquitous. 

To increase process efficiency in the 

hospital, Kranzfelder believes we should 

be talking about a private 5G network for 

security reasons. This, too, is a novelty 

compared to the current generation of 

mobile communication: For the first time, 

5G allows local campus networks to be set 

up. For these, the regulatory authority 

will allow companies, regional network 

operators, or communities, upon application, 

to broadcast at frequencies of 3.7 

to 3.8 GHz starting in the second half of 

2019. This possibility is being discussed at 

Klinikum rechts der Isar. But first, a 5G 

test bed sponsored by the State of Bavaria 

will be set up at TU Munich to focus on 

e-health. 

A 5G test platform will also be created 

at the University Hospital Mannheim in 

upcoming months. The Project Group for 

Automation in Medicine and Biotechnology 

(PAMB) of Fraunhofer Institute for 

Manufacturing Engineering and Automation 

(IPA) will establish a test environment 

for assessing the potentials of using 

5G in the hospital and for developing and 

testing 5G-compatible applications. Researchers 

see possible uses, for example, 

in digitally networked operating rooms 

with wireless instruments like endoscopes 

and (capsule) robots and in the constant 

monitoring of vital parameters during patient 

transport. 

Preparation for surgery could 

be done in the patient’s room 

“Our first thoughts were that we can use 

equipment like endoscopes wirelessly and 

without cables in surgery since 5G pro - 

mises high data transmission rates and 

low latency. Cables are always a nuisance 

and take up a lot of time during preparation. 

A wireless surgery facilitates not 

only a general improvement in ergonomics, 

but also efficient processes during setup 

for surgery,” says Professor Jan Stall - 

kamp, Head of Fraunhofer PAMB. “In the 

closed intervention room, 5G competes, 

amongst other things, with the new 

WLAN standard, Wi-Fi 6. These systems 

offer similarly high data rates and low 

transmission times, but they lack mobility 

and a smooth transition between local 

and mobile networks. When locations 

change due to the process, 5G ensures 

continuous data recording inside and outside 

of the hospital.” 

Stallkamp pictures other future scenarios 

for using 5G: “In principle, 5G 

makes it possible to develop medical devices 

without intelligence. The intelligence, 

which is part of the software, can 

be moved away from the end device to 

a central cloud, for example, with all 

advantages of central system and data 

management. The life cycle of devices 

could be continuously monitored with 

5G, allowing special activities like predictive 

maintenance to increase device availability 

and lower maintenance costs. This 

only works when there is a highly reliable 

transmission path covering a large area, 

but it is also a regulatory nightmare.” 

Like Kranzfelder, Stallkamp observes 

that manufacturers of medical technology 

are very interested in uncovering the potential 

of this new technology. “They are 

also still holding back, however,” says 

Stallkamp. “Industry would have to start 

from scratch to redevelop and approve 

wireless endoscopes with 5G functionality, 

for instance. So it is first rather up to 

us as a research institute to establish endoscopes 

as a reference, for instance, and 

to test their feasibility.” 

“Network slicing, the separation of networks 

of differently defined services, will 

definitely become a topic for hospitals to 

ensure quality for individual services,” 

stresses Olli Liinamaa, Nokia Project Manager 

for the 5G Test Network in Oulu/Finland. 

Network slicing has been in use 

since 2015, but is still being connected externally 

to the 4G network. Nokia intends 

to establish the first 5G base stations here 

starting in the second half of the year. In 

addition to the University of Oulu, the 

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 

roughly 500 companies (including 

100 medical technology and life sciences 

companies), and Oulu University Hospital 

are connected. 

Finland is thinking on a very large 

scale: “The City of Oulu has decided to 

build an entirely new hospital to replace 

the existing one that can no longer meet 

changing demands. The future hospital is 

expected to maximise the use of techno- 


FEATURE 

Public network 

with its own cell tower on 

company premises 

Cellular/public 

LTE/5G network (Internet) 

High data security 

No access to private 

network from outside 

Private LTE/5G network 

Closed campus network 

Server and software 

for private 

mobile 

network 

Optional: 

edge cloud 

Predictive maintenance 

Fast response 

to abnormalities 

Illustration: Deutsche Telekom 

Information 

on processes/ 

configuration of 

production processes 

Connecting to existing networks without problems 

Machines 

on campus interacting 

with one another 

Autonomous and 

on the shortest route with 

the truck 

logical innovations not only in healthcare, 

but also in the services for staff and hospital 

visitors,” says Liinamaa. Oulu University 

Hospital built a test lab for studying 

new e-health solutions based on 5G. 

Health professionals and engineers work 

hand in hand at the lab. Nokia experts report 

this lab will also be used for practical 

training of medical students and for flexible 

testing of new surgical alternatives 

with mobile walls. 

“The decision as to whether the hospital 

will end up using a private or public 

network has still not been made in Oulu 

either. A private network would give the 

hospital the independence and transparency 

to decide on network quality, robustness, 

security, private sphere, and services 

based on its own requirements,” says 

Liinamaa. “On the other hand, operating 

a mobile network is its own business with 

regulated frequency licensing, and someone 

has to establish and maintain the network. 

Trust in the public network and the 

current licence holders would free healthcare 

organisations from learning and investing 

in communication technology. A 

reliable network can be established with 

both models since the network components 

are the same for both options.” 

Not only hospitals, but producers are 

wondering whether to become the operator 

of a 5G network. Swiss medical technology 

manufacturer Ypsomed has tested 

5G in its factory in Solothurn, where it 

makes insulin pens, and it does so using 

four applications in production. 

In particular, the analysis of sensor 

data provided by injection moulding machine 

data brought advantages: The data 

can be recorded and analysed in real time 

using 5G. This capability provides a constant 

overview of the production parameters. 

“Also, 5G allows for predictive 

maintenance on the machines,” says company 

spokesperson Julian Stressig. Moreover, 

5G is well suited for the virtualisation 

of machine computers on a mobile 

end device. This simplifies troubleshooting 

for production workers and creates 

the flexibility to optimise production independently 

of wiring. This feature is becoming 

increasingly important, especially 

for assembly equipment. 

The six-month pilot with Swisscom 

ended in the spring of 2018. “The bottom 

line is that 5G was worth it for us. We see 

that there will be no way around it in the 

future if we want to produce according to 

the latest standards in Switzerland,” says 

Stressig. “5G ultimately allows us to reach 

an even higher level of automation and 

digitalisation in production.” 

■ 

Sabine Koll 

Journalist from Böblingen/Germany 

Campus networks are exclusive mobile networks 

for defined local company premises, 

a university, or individual buildings. The 

networks are tailored to fit individual user‘s 

needs. The campus network cannot be accessed 

from the public network. On the 

other hand, the private wireless network is 

connected to the normal cellular network 

so that companies can communicate with 

partners, external service providers, and 

suppliers. Experts call this combination of a 

private and public network the “dual slice 

solution.” 


On the Project Group for Automation 

in Medicine and Biotech - 

nology (PAMB) at Fraunhofer IPA: 

www.pamb.ipa.fraunhofer.de 

On the Finnish ecosystem 

Ouluhealth: 

www.ouluhealth.fi 

On the Technical University 

of Munich: 

www.tum.de/nc/en 

On Swiss manufacturer of medical 

technology Ypsomed: 

www.ypsomed.com 


Going further with 

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long-standing partner of local and global businesses alike, 

ENGEL delivers reliable solutions worldwide. Thirty years 

ago, our experience and passion for our work inspired 

us to make one of the most groundbreaking developments 

in our company’s history. At that time, we began to eliminate 

the use of tie bars, a move that represented a milestone 

in our industry. 

Tie-bar-less technology ensures an accessible mould area, 

even greater precision and excellent mould protection. The 

concept has allowed us to give our customers long-lasting 

success – from 1989 until the present. 

engelglobal.com/tie-bar-less 


■ [ TECHNOLOGY ] 

Meter Powered by Sugar in the Blood 

Blood sugar measurement | A blood glucose meter developed by researchers in Barcelona 

is fully printable and self-powered. It is paper-based and is powered by sugar 

found in the blood sample. 

Measuring blood pressure 

is important for all 

types of diabetes. The 

simpler and faster, the 

better. 

Photo: TwilightArtPictures/Fotolia 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

About the Smart Systems 

Integration Conference 

Diabetes can appear in different 

forms and damage the heart, blood 

vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. There - 

fore, early diagnosis is crucial. Point-ofcare 

tests (POCT), for instance, allow 

early detection without the need for technicians 

or laboratory infrastructures. 

The current, commercially available 

POCT devices are still usually battery operated, 

however, or require an external receiver 

to read the result. Generally they 

are disposable devices that need only a 

small part of the energy stored in the battery. 

The fully printable blood sugar meter 

developed by the Barcelona Microelectronics 

Institute (IMB-CNM, CSIC), however, 

provides the opportunity to detect 

diabetes early in an environmentally 

friendly way at the point of care, which 

can even be done in remote and isolated 

places and without an external power 

supply: The paper-based disposable meter 

uses energy from the blood sample itself 

for power. 

The glucose found in the blood sample 

creates an enzymatic fuel cell that acts as 

a glucose sensor at the same time. The 

fuel cell works using an enzymatic anode 

and a cathode on silver-oxide basis. The 

glucose is oxidised, creating a flow of 

electrons proportional to the glucose concentration. 

Thus, by measuring the flow 

the fuel cell generates, the meter can de- 

The Speed Research Group presented its results under the original title “Fully 

printable single-use self-powered glucometer” at the Smart Systems Integration 

Conference in Barcelona in April 2019. 

The conference provides a overview of developments, applications, opportunities, 

and visions in the field of system integration of miniaturised components, 

with a practical orientation. 

Event information: www.smartsystemsintegration.de 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Point-of-care testing 

Printable, paper-based device 

Energy-efficient electronics 

Glucose in the sample as 

sole energy source 

termine the glucose concentration in the 

sample. The current charges a capacitor 

that stores the energy and powers the device’s 

electronics. 

This measurement technique is based 

on voltage monitoring and the use of tiny 

printable electronic components like transistors, 

diodes, capacitors, and resistors. 

These parts are connected to the fuel cell 

through an electrofluidic timer. 

Electronic components 

connected to enzymatic fuel cell 

The timer was developed for this device. 

Through capillary action, the fluid moves 

through a medical paper and creates an 

electric contact at a pre-defined time. In 

this way, the electronic components are 

connected to the enzymatic fuel cell at the 

right times: first the capacitor, then the 

printed electronics used to record the glucose 

concentration, and finally the electrochromic 

indicators. 

One of the main challenges was the 

low voltage generated by the fuel cell. The 


voltage was too low to operate the connected 

electronics. Yet, high open-circuit 

voltage of about 0.85 V generated by the 

enzymatic fuel cell, combined with energy-efficient 

electronics, allowed the meter 

to have an energy-autonomous power 

supply. 

Operation is simple: The user applies a 

small amount of blood to the device and 

adds a phosphate-buffered saline solution 

from a blister pack. The displays show the 

result after 75 seconds: 

• Normal is when only the control indicator 

is on, which is equivalent to an 

amount of less than 7.8 mM glucose. 

• Pre-diabetes is when the control and 

first indicator are on—in which case the 

concentration is above 7.8 mM glucose. 

• Diabetes at more than 11.1 mM glucose 

is present when all three indicators 

are active. 

Photo: IMB 

The device was developed to diagnose 

gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes 

that can occur temporarily during pregnancy. 

The meter can also be adapted to 

glucose concentrations needed to dia - 

gnose other types of diabetes. 

The disposable device is, therefore, an 

energy-efficient, environmentally friend - 

ly, and cost-effective alternative to conventional 

point-of-care test systems. ■ 

Irene Merino 

Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona 

(IMB)/ Spain 

The blood sugar 

meter has extremely 

energy-efficient 

electronics. 

The number of active 

indicators reveals 

the measured 

result: If all three 

are activated, the 

glucose concentration 

indicates 

diabetes. 


In the Self-Powered Engineered 

Devices Group, Speed Group for 

short, researchers work in an 

multidisciplinary team to develop 

autonomous, self-powered devices. 

To do so, the group combines 

technology, paper microfluidics, 

printed electronics, biocatalysis, 

and electrochemistry. 

www.speedresearchgroup.com 

Change the world 

with a reliable 

partner 

maxon is supporting the Cybathlon 2020 in 

Zurich as a Presenting Partner – because 

we believe that extraordinary engineers 

and technicians are changing the world for 

the better. What can we do for you? 

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Precision Drive Systems 



Medical Device Software: 

Licensing Only for Needed Functions 

Software licensing | Software comes with a number of medical devices today and supports 

doctors and nursing staff in many ways. The user does not necessarily have to 

buy the software with the device, however. The software can also be licensed, offering 

advantages for device manufacturers as well as users. 

The conventional sales channel for 

medical device manufacturers has 

been to sell the device with all related 

software to hospitals or doctor’s surgeries 

in the form of a single transaction. But 

there are disadvantages: Manufacturers 

do not have regular income, and users 

have to make high investments. There is 

another approach, however. It is called 

software monetisation: Instead of selling 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

The available functions for a ventilator are determined by the software that comes with 

the device. Smart licensing allows users to adapt the device to their needs. 

Devices with software-based 

functions 

Licensing on request 

Encryption tool 

One tool for licence management 

Photo: Fritz Stephan 

devices with a standard software package 

that has a number of functions, manufacturers 

can design the software to meet the 

customer’s needs. In this way, users will 

receive with their medical device only the 

functions they want. Users can purchase 

additional functions later as needed, 

which can be charged based on usage 

time or units. 

The basis for this approach is that, 

from the beginning, software manufacturers 

and manufacturers of medical devices 

can divide their software into functional 

blocks, define reasonable usage 

times, and sell the blocks based on demand. 

Appropriate technical licensing 

solutions and the right licence models will 

be needed. 

There are many other variants aside 

form an unlimited licence. Conventional 

models for licensing include the following 

examples: 

• Licence for single machine or network: 

In this case, the manufacturer determines 

where the user’s licence is valid: 

on single machines or in a network. If 

the number of workstations is not sufficient, 

users can purchase additional 

usage rights. 

• Pay-per-use: 

In this model, users are only charged 

for the actual usage of the software—with 

all available functions included. 

For example, each image taken 

using digital computed radiography 

would cost a certain amount. Actual 

usage can be based on time or actions. 

•Subscriptions: 

Users purchase all functions of the 

medical device and pay at a certain, 

regular interval. 

• Activation of modules: 

The users can buy the functions of the 

medical device as needed. For a type of 

ventilator, the software would be divided 

into the functions of ventilation 

of newborns, children, and adults. 

Users can purchase functions later at 

any time. The usage rights would be 

updated accordingly. 

• Maintenance: 

To ensure that only authorised and 

trained personnel have access to the 

medical device’s software functions 

and maintenance documents, manufacturers 

can issue time-limited authorisation 

licences for the maintenance 

period. 

The Codemeter solution developed by 

Wibu-Systems AG in Karlsruhe/Germany 

allows companies to use all of these licensing 

options and more. This solution encrypts 

a complete executable file or the 

software’s individual function blocks for 

the medical device. The usage rights, 

which the user acquires with the device, 

will be stored securely in the CM Dongle 

protection hardware. 


Photo: Wibu-Systems 

Codemeter technology that securely manages 

usage rights has a modular design and 

comes in several variants. 

This variant gives medical device 

manufacturers licensing options for different 

models as well as protection from 

product piracy and reverse engineering, 

unintentional changes, and deliberate 

manipulation. 

Wibu-Systems offers the CM Dongle 

hardware in several designs: USB sticks 

with and without flash drive; SD, 

MicroSD, CF, and CFast memory cards; 

and Asic are available. Other possible options 

are software-based Cm Act Licence 

containers and cloud containers. 

The Codemeter Licence Central tool 

creates, supplies, and manages the 

licences. It stores the expiration dates, defines 

values for usage, and has counters. 

The tool analyses user activities as well. 

When a licence portal is set up, users can 

view their purchased and activated 

licenses. 

Medical device manufacturers can protect 

or license their computer software, 

embedded systems, controllers, and mi - 

cro controllers. For these cases, Wibu-Sys- 

tems developed a Codemeter module that 

contains Codemeter Runtime, Codemeter 

Embedded, or Codemeter μ-Embedded. ■ 

Oliver Winzenried 

Wibu-Systems, Karlsruhe/Germany 


For more information on the manufacturer 

and on applications of the 

Codemeter tool already in use, go to 

www.wibu.com 

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What plasma could achieve for 

disaster relief using a new technology 

Decontamination with DBD plasma | The partners involved in the Moplasdekon joint 

project have developed a mobile plasma disinfector which can be used to disinfect 

ambulances, for example. The technology differs from industrial processes as well as 

from approaches based on plasma sterilization. 

Photo: Plasmatreat 

The mobile plasma decontamination system 

can disinfect the interior of the entire 

ambulance during emergency situations. 

This is done without using chemicals. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ Plasma for mobile decontamination 

■ Dielectric barrier discharge 

to generate the plasma 

■Proven efficacy 

■ Suitable for different surfaces 

Atmospheric plasma systems for industrial 

applications are generally 

permanently integrated into their production 

line. The type of low-pressure plasma 

units that have been developed for steri - 

lizing products are normally large and 

heavy because they require a vacuum 

chamber. Both these systems operate 

under boundary conditions that have 

been adapted to an industrial environment. 

So the idea of making plasma available 

as a surface treatment for mobile applications 

was not an obvious one. But 

that is precisely what the partners in the 

Moplasdekon joint project have succeeded 

in doing: The technology they 

have developed makes it possible to decontaminate 

contaminated surfaces using 

plasma without having to use chemicals 

that are harmful to health and the environment. 

Since this approach is of interest to 

disaster relief organizations, the project 

has been funded for three years – until the 

middle of this year – by the German Fe - 

deral Ministry of Education and Research 

(BMBF) as part of its “Research for Civil 

Security” program. During this time the 

partners have not only developed the innovative 

mobile plasma system, but tested 

its effectiveness and practical applications 

on diverse surfaces as well. For instance, 


protective suits worn by emergency personnel 

that may be contaminated with 

dangerous bacteria can be decontaminated 

just as rapidly and effectively as the 

interior of ambulances. 

As joint project partners Plasmatreat 

GmbH from Steinhagen, the Fraunhofer 

Institute for Process Engineering and 

Packaging IVV in Freising and M-U-T 

GmbH, a manufacturer of measuring instruments 

for use in medical and environmental 

engineering from Wedel have collaborated 

on this project. The job of developing 

and designing the plasma unit itself 

fell to Plasmatreat, a company that 

specializes in atmospheric plasma surface 

technology. Experts at Plasmatreat built 

the power generator which is required to 

generate the plasma, as well as the plasma 

nozzle and other parts for the de - 

monstration model. 

Plasma gas concentration is 

measured inside the vehicle 

The demonstration model is currently in 

Freising, where the system is undergoing 

microbiological evaluation at the Fraunhofer 

IVV. The researchers there have 

used bacteria, fungi and viruses to test 

whether the plasma effectively de con - 

taminates and disinfects the surfaces of 

different materials. M-U-T in turn has developed 

special gas analyzers which send 

data directly to the mobile power gene - 

rator of the plasma system. One of these 

instruments measures the plasma at the 

nozzle outlet at the start of the decontamination 

phase. The other is located inside 

the area to be decontaminated – for 

example, in the ambulance – and signals 

to the generator when the concentration 

of plasma gas inside is sufficient. 

The Moplasdekon demonstration 

model uses plasma gas generated under 

normal pressure. However, unlike 

Openair-Plasma used in industry to clean 

and activate material surfaces, this plasma 

is not generated using an arc-like discharge. 

Instead, the newly developed 

CD-40 sterilization nozzle generates the 

plasma by means of dielectric barrier discharge, 

or DBD as it is known for short. 

“In contrast to conventional atmospheric 

pressure plasma, this technology produces 

a reactive plasma gas with a long 

life which is suitable for disinfecting and 

even sterilizing larger areas up to five 

cubic meters in volume“, explains Dr. 

Alexander Knospe, director of Innovation 

Management at Plasmatreat and coordinator 

of the joint project. “This corresponds 

approximately to the volume of an 

ambulance vehicle, which can be decontaminated 

using the DBD process in 

around one to two hours without the need 

for chemicals.” 

Support from experienced 

rescue workers 

For general questions on disaster management, 

the organizations involved in the joint project 

consulted four associated partners: 

The Analytical Task Force (ATF) of the Essen Fire 

Service that specializes in biological threats, the 

rescue and disaster management specialists at 

the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) and the supplier of 

specialist tents and equipment Thorsten 

Schöppner Inhag Zelte und Zubehör, based in 

Hesse. The fourth practical advisor was the 

German government‘s center for the monitoring 

and prevention of diseases – the Robert Koch 

Institute (RKI) in Berlin, which itself operates a 

task force for biological threats. 

No difference in perfomance on 

glass, plastic, or metal surfaces 

The plasma process is monitored spectros - 

copically to ensure continuous and reproducible 

operation. When asked which materials 

had so far been treated during testing, 

Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmitt-John, director 

of the systems engineer’s Plasma 

Life Science department replies: “We have 

tested it on glass, plastic and metal surfaces 

and so far found no difference in disinfection 

performance.“ Since the DBD 

plasma gas is relatively cold and the distance 

between the nozzle and the substrate 

is already large, it would also be 

possible to decontaminate heat-sensitive 

plastics. 

The CD-40 nozzle achieved a 6-log 

microbial reduction rate. This equates to a 

reduction in the bacterial load by a factor 

of one million, which meets the requirements 

for sterilization. The decontamination 

test thus demonstrated the bactericidal 

and fungicidal effect as well as the 

antiviral and sporicidal effect of the technology. 

One thing that makes the new system 

particularly interesting is that unlike conventional 

decontamination processes 

which rely on chemical active substances 

such as peracetic acid (PAA) or hydrogen 

peroxide, it requires only electrical energy 

and air as the process gas. The chemicals 

are not only dangerous to the health of 

emergency workers, they are also harmful 

to the environment. As a result, delivery 

to the contaminated areas, storage and 

eventual disposal involves significant effort. 

If there is no mains power supply available 

at the point of use, rescue services 

have emergency power generators which 

can be used to operate the plasma unit. If 

these also fail, the system has a built-in lithium-ion 

battery to fall back on. If 

necessary, this can even be recharged 

using the vehicle‘s battery. 

The declared technical goal of the research 

project was that the plasma disinfector 

should be compact and relatively 

light so that one person could carry it. No 

such device currently exists. The future 

Moplasdekon product will weigh 25 kg 

and be rapidly deployable and even more 

user-friendly than the demonstrator 

model. 

■ 

Inès A. Melamies 

Specialized journalist from Bad Honnef 



Precise Movements 

Around the Blood Sample 

Automated analysis in the lab | High-tech machines analyse human blood samples, 

detect bleeding disorders, and, in this way, help saves lives. To function reliably, these 

automated machines have to be equipped with the right drives and conveyor systems. 

Human blood carries oxygen and nutrients, 

attacks foreign bodies, and 

closes wounds. Yet, some people have 

bleeding disorders that can be unpleasant 

and have serious consequences. Tests that 

detect bleeding diseases and check therapy 

options are carried out in labs and 

hospitals: Modern analysers can pipette 

samples independently around the clock 

and produce rapids results. Based on the 

model of industrial applications, these 

automated devices work precisely and reliably. 

The requirements on components 

and the expectations of developers are 

high. 

French company Stago specialises in 

analysis instruments for haemostasis 

diagnostics—hence, issues concerning 

blood coagulation. Stago has about 

20,000 devices in use worldwide, including 

the fully automated analyser Star 

Max. This system has a three-axis robot 

and room for 215 samples and 1,000 cuvettes. 

The machine works independently, 

verifies results, compares them, 

and monitors processes. It is ideal especially 

for labs that have a high sample 

volume. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Lab automation 

Drive technology in the device 

Automated pipetting 

Moving the samples 

Conveyor system as an assembly 

Photo: Maxon Motor 

The Star Max analyser has room for 

215 samples and 1000 cuvettes. 

The machine works independently, 

verifies the results, and monitors 

the processes. 

Used in Star Max: At 6 W, the A-Max 22 

brush DC motor (left) offers a very good 

price-performance ratio. The GP 22 

planetary gear (right) has a diameter of 

22 mm and creates enough torque in the 

application. 

Photo: Stago 

The Star Max system was released in 

2014. Yet, Stago had already developed 

an analyser with an X-Y-Z axis robot in 

1991. MDP drive experts were involved in 

its development at that time. MDP is the 

French sales office of Swiss manufacturer 

of drive systems, Maxon Motor. MDP was 

contacted again in the first phase of development 

of the Star Max device to answer 

important questions on the precise movements 

on all three axes and full-automated 

pipetting of reagents. “With its extensive 

experience, MDP ultimately modified 

the standard products to meet our 

requirements,” says Jean-François Gelin, 

project director of Innovation R&D at 

Stago. 

This project also benefited from the expertise 

of MDP and Maxon Motor in the 

form of helpful tips from each company. 

Meanwhile, the partnership has been 

going so well that the drive experts are 

building the conveyor system for the 

pipette racks in their factory in Neyron 


and delivering them to Stago for final assembly. 

Different types of Maxon’s A-Max DC 

motor—with diameters between 16 and 

26 mm—are used to move the racks. 

These DC motors are very dynamic and 

easy to control. MDP also uses the right 

planetary gears to achieve the necessary 

torque. 

“When we started developing haemostasis 

analysers, almost no one believed we 

would be successful,” asserts Stago’s 

Jean-François Gelin. Today the company 

has over 2,100 employees and supplies 

high-end devices to 110 countries. ■ 

Stefan Roschi 

Maxon Motor, Sachseln/Switzerland 

About MDP 

MDP engineer Yannik Charel assembles the transport 

unit for the Star Max medical analyser. 

MDP was founded in 1982 and first dealt with micrometers 

from several manufacturers. Later the company 

saw strong growth thanks to standard products that 

could be shipped quickly, and it provided technical support 

from its call centre. Today it employs 41 people at 

its headquarters in Neyron near Lyon—in sales, development, 

and its own production, amongst other departments. 

MDP provides its customers with drives and 

complete drive systems. 

In the autumn of 2014, MDP stopped being just a sales 

partner for Maxon Motor in France and became an official 

part of the Maxon Motor Group and one of the 

Swiss company’s production facilities. The other five are 

in Switzerland, Germany, Hungry, the Netherlands, and 

Korea. 

www.mdp.fr 

www.maxongroup.co.uk 

Photo: Maxon Motor 

Safely and perfectly: 

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Everything needed to satisfy your high 

expectations – and more – that is KOCH 

medplus. The brand for the optimized 

packaging of medical devices and pharmaceutical 

products. Based on machines 

configured exactly to specification, broad 

mechanical engineering and consultation 

expertise, and one-stop turnkey services. 

For the best individually tailored packaging 

process. Exemplified by Blister Machine 

KBS-KF medplus. 

November 18–21, 2019 

Hall 8B 

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Member of 01/2019 the Uhlmann medicine&technology Group 

47


Polymer Plain Bearings in 

Knee, Lighter and Quieter 

Plain bearings in the prosthesis | Plain bearings made of high-performance polymers 

are self-lubricating and are lighter and quieter than bronze bearings. Thus, after extensive 

testing, manufacturer of prosthetic knee joints, Otto Bock, decided to go with 

the plastic solution. 

Iglidur plain bearings 

allow the available 

space to be 

used ideally in the 

3R60 (left) and 

3R60-Pro (right) 

polycentric prosthetic 

knee joints. 

The Iglidur piston ring 

for a pneumatic prosthetic 

knee joint has a 

special shape and was 

developed and manufactured 

to meet Otto 

Bock’s specifications. 

Photo: Otto Bock 

Photo: Igus 

A 

prosthesis has to be fit to each individual 

wearer and support the body 

during challenging physical activities, like 

running. To make these requirements 

seem natural and as comfortable as 

possible for wearers of prosthetics, Otto 

Bock SE & Co. KGaA, based in Duderstadt/ 

Germany, has spent years developing innovative 

products like the C-Leg: When 

first introduced in 1997, it was the world’s 

first microprocessor-controlled knee joint 

that measured movements in real time. 

Wearers of this prosthesis can, for 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Plain bearings for prosthetic knee joints 

Self-lubricating 

Replacement for metal solution 

Tests under load 

Advantage for limited space 

example, direct their gaze ahead when 

walking through the forest instead of having 

to keep an eye on the ground at all 

times. 

To be able to develop these devices, 

Otto Bock has been working very closely 

together with prosthesis wearers with the 

goal of understanding their needs. For 

everyday activities, these people want coordinated 

movement sequences, good 

shock-absorbing properties, and a functional 

capacity at least equal to the natural 

joint. 

Some of the bearing zones in prosthetic 

knee joints used to have bronze 

bearings. But the experts at Otto Bock determined 

that fretting corrosion can be 

common when small pivoting movements 

are made. This can make knee joints stiff 

and pose a risk to people with prosthetics. 

Several materials were tested in the 

search for an alternative. Ultimately, the 

prosthetics specialist decided to use Iglidur 

polymer plain bearings made by Igus 

GmbH in Cologne/Germany. They are optimised 

for use under high friction and 

have a very low wear rate. “The plain 

bearings are made of a mixture of basic 

polymers, fibres, fillers, and solid lubricants,” 

states Ulf Hottung, Industry Manager 

for Medical Technology at Igus. The 

solid lubricants are embedded in the solid 

material as microscopically small particles. 

“This is enough to lubricate the immediate 

environment adequately and to 

do away with external lubricants like oils 

and greases.” 

In its own testing lab, Otto Bock examined 

more closely just what these bearings 

can do. Prosthetic knee joints with 

the Iglidur plain bearings were bent 

under load to gain knowledge about the 

wear behaviour of the components under 

realistic conditions. 

Otto Bock made the decision to use Iglidur 

bearings not only because they are 

corrosion resistant. They offered other 

advantages for prosthetic knee and hip 


ALL FROM 

ONE SOURCE! 

Research 

Product idea 

High-performance 

polymer plain bearings 

are used in 

prosthetic knee 

joints without the 

need for additional 

lubrication. 

Design 

Concept 

Prototyping 

Photo: Igus 

joints: Unlike bronze bearings, the plain 

bearings were not affected by dirt or dust. 

Even the noises that occur with increasing 

use of the bronze bearings were significantly 

reduced by the polymer plain bearings. 

With the special bearings, 

space is used best as possible 

In the polycentric, or multi-axis, 3R60 

prosthetic knee joint, the use of Iglidur 

plain bearings allowed the available space 

to be utilised as best as possible. “Here 

several bearing zones are close to one another, 

and the usable wall thickness is so 

small that roller bearings cannot be used 

with this geometry,” explains Andreas 

Schuh, expert for fluidic control systems 

at Otto Bock. Schuh has spent many years 

working in the development of prosthetic 

knee joints and has extensively tested and 

analysed several bearing elements. 

In addition to available space, weight is 

also a crucial part of development. For 

wearers, a heavy prosthesis can be a 

hindrance instead of a helper. “We fight 

for every gram. With their light weight, 

these plain bearings have an advantage 

over metal bearings,” Schuh clarifies. 

Being easy to maintain and requiring 

neither maintenance nor additional lubrication, 

the polymer plain bearings are 

also cost advantageous to Otto Bock: No 

lubrication means that the prosthetic 

joints are not as susceptible to contamination, 

says Schuh. “Hence, no cover caps 

or additional sealing elements are needed 

to protect the bearing zones from contamination 

and water.” Plain bearings are 

more cost-efficient than comparable 

metal products. The axes do not need hardening 

for use. This shortens the manufacturing 

process, which also lowers 

costs. 

The plastics specialists in Cologne 

make individual components in addition 

to numerous standard parts, available in a 

large selection of materials. In one of its 

most popular mechanical joints with 

pneumatic control—type 3R78—Otto 

Bock uses, for example, a piston ring that 

is not available in the standard product 

range due to the special geometry. For 

such cases, Igus is initially using several 

manufacturing processes to make costefficient 

prototypes, which will later 

be made in quantities of one to series of 

several millions. 

■ 

Stefan Loockmann-Rittich 

Igus, Cologne/Germany 

www.igus.de 

Manufacturing 

concept 

Product 

Production 

EXTRUSION 

MOLDING 

ASSEMBLY 

HALL 8A / F28 


www.RAUMEDIC.com


At 40,000 Revolutions per Minute, 

Small Motor Clears Clot from Vessel 

Small motors | At high speed, a drive is able to break up thrombi in the leg inside the 

vessel and remove them. Very small, high-speed motors are used in such catheters 

made by Straub Medical. That’s not all. This Swiss manufacturer is already working on 

even smaller solutions for the treatment of heart attacks and strokes. 

A metal spring in the catheter 

rotates quickly to 

break up and remove a 

blood clot blocking a 

vessel. In the catheter 

head, chisel-like structures 

can break up solid clots. 

The fragments are transported 

by a vortex current 

into the catheter’s openings 

and out of the body. 

Photo: Straub Medical 

A 

thick clot, a thrombus of coagulated 

blood, that gets stuck in the artery 

from the knee into the thigh can practically 

stop the flow of blood in the leg. 

Smaller blood vessels are not able to compensate 

fully for the blocked flow in the 

artery, however. The outcome: Lack of 

oxygen to the muscles makes walking 

painful after a few steps. Patients are 

forced to stand still, and in the city they 

may inconspicuously browse the merchandise 

in store windows. Peripheral artery 

disease (PAD) has this behaviour to 

thank for the colloquial name Germans 

use: “shop-window disease.” 

This type of blockage can be treated, 

amongst other methods, with a medical 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Small motor 

High speed 

Contactless magnetic coupling 

Protection of motor and vascular wall 

Special vortex method 

device that breaks up the clot and removes 

it from the vessel. The Rotarex S 

catheter, developed by Straub Medical in 

Switzerland, features a head not much 

bigger than that of a match. The doctor introduces 

the catheter into the artery 

through puncture and advances the device 

to the occluded blood vessel. There, 

the catheter head starts to rotate and suction 

at the press of a button. A little while 

later the thrombus is completely removed. 

Chisel breaks up clot, 

fragments removed by suction 

To generate the rotational movement, a 

motor outside of the body is connected to 

the catheter through a contactless magnetic 

coupling. The rotation generated by 

the motor is transmitted to the head inside 

the body by a high-strength steel spiral 

(also called a helix) located inside the 

catheter tube. The end of the catheter 

head itself is slanted on both sides—like a 

chisel. Once the head starts spinning, 

these surfaces break up the solidified material 

of the thrombus from inside out and 

set the fragments spinning in a vortex that 

cleans out the entire diameter of the 

blood vessel. 

The catheter head has two small side 

openings where the helix is exposed. The 

rotating helix suctions the free fragments 

into the tube, based on the principle of 

Archimedes’ screw. Inside the tube, the 

fragments are broken down even further 

by internal blades, making for smooth 

passage to the retrieval bag outside of the 

body. 

“Removal of the occluded material 

takes about three minutes on average,” 

explains Dirk Dreyer, Director of Sales 

and Marketing at Straub Medical. Known 

from thrombolysis and other procedures, 

effects like a stay on the intensive care 

unit or damage to the vascular wall can be 

avoided. For fresh thrombi, the Aspirex S 

variant is used, which does not need the 

rotating chisel of Rotarex S at its suction 

head. The suction effect of the rotating 

helix is enough to aspirate the clot 

through the side openings and transport 

it out of the body. 

High, constant speed is needed so the 

head of Rotarex S can break up the clot 


werkzeugbau-ruhla.de 

The brushless drive of 

series 2444...B is small, 

lightweight, quiet, and 

low-vibration. 

Photo: Faulhaber 

and create enough suction. The recommended 

speed, depending on catheter 

size and model, ranges from 40,000 to 

60,000 revolutions per minute. For technical 

reasons, the speed may not go significantly 

faster or slower than the 

limit—depending on whether the hard 

occlusion is being broken up or the last 

particles are being removed. Thus, the 

controller responds very quickly to any 

change in load, and the motor has to implement 

the signals with the same 

amount of precision. 

“There are not many motors available 

that meet our quality standards,” explains 

Dreyer. The motors used in the device are 

made by Dr. Fritz Faulhaber GmbH & Co. 

KG, located in Schönaich/Germany. 

“Faulhaber supported us in the developed 

of the first prototypes and provided important 

know-how,” adds Dreyer. Not 

least, the use of a motor in medical devices 

raises questions about medical device 

approval. Faulhaber has “the necessary 

certificates that give us an additional 

advantage with regards to the obligation 

to provide proof and traceability of device 

components as well.” 

The motor in the device’s hand-held 

unit has to be small and lightweight, and 

has to work without vibrating. The brushless 

drive of series 2444...B is, therefore, 

being balanced during production and 

undergoing additional precision balancing. 

The magnetic coupling also provides 

torque protection: If the helix or Rotarex 

head gets blocked during operation, the 

coupling element on the motor side continues 

to spin without introducing additional 

force. This protects not only the 

motor and device, but, more importantly, 

the blood vessel as well. 

The Rotarex S and Aspirex S catheters 

are available in diameters ranging from 

2 mm to 3.3 mm. Usually a blood vessel 

has to have a diameter of at least 3 mm to 

be accessible for devices. Blood vessels in 

the brain and coronary vessels are too 

narrow or twisted. “Our developers want 

to make even smaller catheters,” reports 

Dreyer. “This is a medical-technical challenge 

that we want to master with Faulhaber’s 

support.” 

■ 

Volker Beck 

Faulhaber, Schönaich/Germany 

www.faulhaber.com 

ABOUT THE 

INVENTOR 

The story of how the Rotarex S 

method was created is typical for 

the mid-sized medical technology 

industry in Switzerland: A high-tech 

engineer runs across an unsolved 

medical problem and thinks of 

something. Founder Immanuel 

Straub, who passed away in 2012, 

had been developing novel high-performance 

springs since the 1950s, 

which were installed, amongst 

other places, in the valves of Formula 

One engines. A doctor and friend 

of his made him aware of the difficulties 

in removing blood vessel occlusions 

near the end of the 1980s. 

The engineer came up with the idea 

to combine catheters with high-performance 

springs and rotating 

chisels. Thus, Straub created a new 

treatment method that has been in 

clinical use since 2000. 

www.straubmedical.com/en/ 

Quality and 

Precision 

Medicine 

Diagnostics 

Packaging 

Complex injection moulding tools 

for precise plastic parts in high 

output quantities. 

Industriestrasse 01/2019 medicine&tec 14 | D-99846 hn ology Seebach 51 

+49 36929 7780 | info@werkzeugbau-ruhla.de


Individual Parts and Implants in Series 

Straight from the Printer 

3D printing from titanium powder | Conmet, a company based in Moscow, prints 

maxillofacial implants for the CIS market, and soon for Europe as well. Conmet uses a 

3D printing system made by the Ditzingen-based company Trumpf. In the future, even 

components for the spinal region and serial prostheses are expected to be created in 

the powder bed. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

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■ 

■ 

■ 

3D printing of facial implants 

Printer and titanium powder from the 

same source 

Process monitoring 

Devices compliant with EU standards 

Plans for series production 

Photo: Trumpf 

Russian manufacturer Conmet wanted 

to use 3D printing for its maxillofacial 

implants ten years ago, but the available 

technology did not meet Conmet’s 

requirements until 2017. 

Sometimes a surgeon is also an artist: 

For facial implantations, surgeons 

still have to cut out the implant from a 

perforated titanium plate during the surgery 

and modify the shape to fit the patient. 

This creates time pressure and 

stress, and fluctuations in quality can 

occur. With 3D printing, implants can be 

custom-fit and prepared ahead of surgery. 

Conmet employees in Moscow have 

been discussing this possibility for ten 

years now. Several system manufacturers 

were contracted to print a few benchmark 

parts, but the experts at Conmet were not 

satisfied with the quality at the time. They 

told this to Andreas Margolf, who, as a 

Project Manager of Additive Manufacturing 

at Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG in Ditzingen/Germany, 

came into contact with the 

Russians. Then in 2017, Conmet wanted 

to start a new test project using 3D printing 

and received information from 

Trumpf about the advancements in the 

technology. Today, the Moscow-based 

company uses a Truprint 1000 3D printer 

to make maxillofacial implants for the CIS 

market and will soon be expanding into 

Europe as well. 

Things progressed quickly after Conmet 

first contacted Trumpf. This time, the 

client was happy with the quality of the 

components, and the system’s design was 

right. Conmet likewise valued the assistance 

from Trumpf during the process. 

Fibre lasers ideal for 

conventional titanium alloys 

First, Conmet had to find the best suited 

system and determine the parameters for 

the requirements. The decision was to use 

a Truprint 1000 3D printer with a focus 

diameter of 30 μm. This system is extremely 

compact. As a beam source with a 

strength of 200 W, the fibre laser has no 

problems processing the titanium alloys 

commonly used in medical technology. 

Finesse was needed in deciding on the 

focus diameter the laser beam projects on 

the powder bed. “Our series of tests 

showed that surface roughness is about 

20 percent better at a focus diameter of 

30 micrometres than at a larger one. The 

process takes longer and is a little more 

expensive, but those things are not the deciding 

factors in medical technology,” 

says Margolf. 

The equipment manufacturer also 

supplies the titanium powder used to 

make the implants. In this way, reproducible 

material quality is ensured for all 

printed implants. 

In Moscow, Conmet has been using 

Truprint 1000 since the beginning of 

2018. The company makes a variety of devices 

including facial implants for cancer 

patients and maxillary implants for the 

CIS and European market. Hospitals provide 

the CT data for their patients. The 

engineers at Conmet design the implant 

in coordination with the surgeon and 

print it. 

“With Truprint 1000, we are currently 

making 60 implants a month, but plan to 

increase production by ten percent,” explains 

Nadezhda Morozova, Project Man- 


ager at Conmet. She adds, “compared to 

traditional processes like milling and 

turning, we now save 40 percent in manufacturing 

costs.” 

To ensure the components maintain a 

consistently high level of overall quality, 

the manufacturers make several test 

blocks during every printing process in 

addition to the medical device parts. The 

manufacturers can then perform mechanical 

tests and take density measurements 

on the test blocks to rule out deficiencies 

in the medical device component. 

Also, automated monitoring functions 

in the 3D printer can detect process deviations 

early and assess them. In Trumpf 

systems, examples of these functions include 

Powder Bed Monitoring and Melting 

Pool Monitoring. Sensors and image 

processing monitor the application of the 

powder and the laser’s melting pool. 

Individual spinal implants 

planned 

The Russian company plans to use 

3D printing in the near future to make 

customised prostheses for the spine as 

well. Future plans also include the manufacturing 

of prostheses in series. The 

U.S. FDA has already approved around 

100 standard parts of this type. A large 

number of them are joint replacement 

parts and spinal implants. To reach 

its goals, the Moscow company is bulking 

up its machinery: We need Truprint 

3000 with a larger printing area, says Morozova. 

Advantages of 3D printing 

Advantages of 3D printing in medical 

technology: 

■ Patient data can be used to create a 

CAD model specific to each patient, 

from which the implant is constructed—and 

the printer creates the 

complex, personalised geometry. 

■ Prostheses from the 3D printer 

achieve high damping, whilst remaining 

stable. Porous structures that integrate 

well with healthy tissue, but are 

solid and long-lasting can likewise be 

printed. 

■ Since the implants are made to fit 

from the printer, there is no need for 

cutting in the operating theatre. Physicians 

receive cleaned and sterile implants 

that can be used directly. 

■ Three-dimensional printing is resource-efficient 

since no chips or 

shavings are produced. Thus, when expensive 

titanium alloys are being 

The Conmet medical devices are certified 

according to the latest European 

standards. All elements for 3D-printed 

implants are designed to work with one 

another since 3D printers and accessories 

come from the same source. Coating tool, 

substrate plate, software, parameters—Trumpf 

supplies everything. 

The experts at the Trumpf Group in Moscow 

will answer questions about 3D print- 

used, material costs can be reduced. 

Even the tool costs that occur to a 

greater extent due to wear during the 

turning and milling of titanium become 

obsolete when additive manufacturing 

is used. 

For individual maxillofacial implants, 

Conmet uses the “small” Truprint 1000 

system. The company intends to use the 

larger system for series production. 

Photo: Trumpf 

ing in Russian. “And it is important that 

the customer not only buys the equipment 

from us, but also uses it to make money,” 

says Margolf. 

■ 

Ramona Hönl 

Trumpf, Ditzingen/Germany 

www.trumpf.com 



Integrating 3D Printing 

for Contract Manufacturers 

3D printing | In the last decade, 3D printing has firmly established its place in the 

medical device manufacturing chain. Contract Manufacturers need to include this 

technology in their portfolio. 

These acetabular cups with porous outer surface 

were manufactured in a 3D printer out of 

Grade 23 titanium. 

As metal additive manufacturing (AM) 

grows in importance in the medical 

device industry, Contract Manufacturing 

Organizations (CMOs) are investigating 

how to best integrate the technology in 

order to better serve their customers‘ 

needs. The key point is to create a profitable 

business from 3D metal printing. 

Understanding which approach is the 

right one for the needs and planning for 

the changes associated with AM, especially 

regarding the operations that are 

upstream and downstream of the printer, 

are key to achieving success. 

Although there are many ways to print 

metals, the dominant approach today 

creates solid material by the targeted 

YOUR KEYWORD 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Implementing Additive Manufacturing 

E-beam vs. laser melting 

Mastering oxygen 

in the printing environment 

Post-processing steps required 

Photo: GF Machining 

melting of a metal powder. The energy to 

fuse the powder comes from either a 

beam of electrons (e-beam) or a laser. 

Both methods print „slice by slice“, depositing 

and melting thin layers of 

powder in the printer‘s build chamber and 

tracing a pattern on the freshly layered 

powder. E-beam allows products to be 

printed that have little residual stresses as 

the build chamber operates at an elevated 

temperature (generally above 700°C). 

However, e-beam also has its drawbacks, 

notably that the minimum layer thickness 

and beam size are both larger than with a 

laser. 

In general, products made with a laserbased 

process (called „selective laser 

melting“) can have a better surface finish 

and smaller features than is generally 

possible with e-beam. Therefore, a wider 

range of products can be manufactured 

with laser-based systems—and laser 

melting has a much larger share of the 

market than e-beam. 

Another point to consider is the range 

of materials that can be printed on a system, 

and the ability or not to change materials 

if necessary. Instruments are most 

often made of stainless steel, while implants 

usually require titanium; if your 

target is to fully load your printer with 

jobs of different types, it may push your 

choice towards a flexible system. 

Whenever metals are in the presence of 

oxygen, there is the risk of oxygen uptake. 

Metal powders are made of spheres that 

are only a few microns in diameter and 

therefore have dramatically more surface 

area per unit weight than solid metal bars. 

This puts powders at an even greater risk 

of oxidation. 

Oxidation of metal powder 

has to be avoided 

Oxidation of titanium, for example, 

brings a significant change in its mecha - 

nical properties, with higher levels 

resulting in a material that is brittle and 

more prone to certain types of failure. 

Once certain alloys have passed a limit 

(defined by the grade of metal—for Gr. 23 

titanium it is 1300 ppm of oxygen), the 

powder must be discarded. This can add 

significant expense to the running costs. 

There are different approaches to 

mastering oxygen in the printing environment. 

Some printers will have a continuous 

flow of shield gas (most often argon) 

that is fed into the build chamber and 

keeps it positively pressured. This approach 

typically results in an oxygen level 

of 300 to 700 ppm (parts per million) in 

the build chamber during the print cycle; 

however this also results in a continuous 

consumption of argon. 

Powdered metals in this environment 

will have an oxygen uptake that degrades 

the material over time. Typically, a manufacturer 

producing with Grade 23 titanium 

would be able to use a batch of 

powder for 20 to 30 build cycles. Running 

costs also include the cost of shield gas, 


3D printing of metals 

Metal Additive Manufacturing (Metal 

AM, or the 3D printing of metals) is an 

important process used on many new 

medical devices entering the market. For 

orthopedic implants, the development of 

products using lattice structures (to 

mimic the behavior of normal bone) and 

porous surfaces have led to significant 

improvements in patient outcomes. 

Simply stated, it is impossible to make 

products with these features without 

AM. And it‘s not just implants—surgical 

tools and instruments are also benefitting 

from designs only possible via AM 

thanks to the weight savings that can be 

achieved and the ability to create innovative 

forms that allow more ergonometric 

designs and simplify the manufacturing 

process. 

Versioned 

catalog 

production 

and these are higher when shield gas is 

continuously fed into the build chamber 

(as opposed to a closed system). 

A different design of printer makes use 

of a sealed (or closed) build chamber 

whereby all the air is evacuated from the 

chamber and then replaced with argon. 

With this approach, the oxygen level during 

the build is usually below 25 ppm. A 

hidden benefit is the improved control of 

humidity in the powder, which enables a 

more consistent quality of printed metal. 

The powder life in this environment often 

can extend beyond 70 build cycles. 

But the printer is only one part of the 

puzzle: Successful manufacturing 

requires having a product design that has 

been adapted for 3D printing, a validated 

process, as well as mastering the downstream 

operations that are necessary. Almost 

all parts made with metal AM will 

need at least one post-processing step, as 

• stress relieving, 

• removal from the build plate, 

• machining operations, etc. 

In order to reduce the manufacturing 

lead times and the cost per part, it is important 

to consider solutions that allow 

an integration of the AM technology into 

a complete manufacturing chain. 

Taking a product idea and modifying 

the design to make „printable“ requires 

both experience and the appropriate software. 

3D printing is a vertical process: 

The powder present in the bed is not able 

to support the weight of printed metal. As 

such, designs need to be adapted with 

support structures. Build simulation software 

allows for the verification of the size 

and geometry of support structures, however 

training and design experience remain 

valuable assets. Some software 

packages, such as 3D-Xpert, offer build 

simulation tools that consider wall thicknesses, 

weight and the behavior of the 

powder being used to ensure minimized 

supports of sufficient size and strength. 

The most advanced software packages 

also link the printer design, its laser, and 

the characteristics of the powder in order 

to develop a printing process that optimizes 

the laser path and build strategy to 

ensure that the desired mechanical pro - 

perties of the product can be achieved. 

Stress relieving will very often 

be part of post-processing 

A validated AM process includes the 

entire ecosystem, quality control processes 

for incoming powder, software, 

post- processing, and process controls on 

finished products. Post-processing will almost 

always require stress relieving, 

which may be done in an oven using 

a shield gas, or via HIP (Hot Isostatic 

Pressure). Basic heat treating is often 

done at the manufacturing site, however 

HIP requires specialized equipment and is 

often done via an outside supplier. 

The controls on finished products need 

to include destructive and non-destructive 

testing, via an accredited lab to confirm 

that the printed material matches 

the material specification. 

Companies that are looking to bring 

AM into their production portfolio will 

need to carefully consider their staffing to 

ensure they have the necessary level of 

expertise. Working with a partner is a key 

way of mastering the process. 

■ 

Erik Poulsen 

GF Machining Solutions, 

Schaffhausen/Switzerland 

Ruben Wauthle 

3D Systems Healthcare, 

Moerfelden-Walldorf/Germany 

We are well-equipped for the production 

of your multilingual or multi-version 

catalogs – especially when it comes to 

managing your highly complex jobs. 

Individual tools, perfectly adapted for your 

project, accelerate and simplify the 

entire process. 

We can do much for you, please contact us. 

druck@konradin.de 

www.konradinheckel.de 



The screws made of a CoCr 

super alloy are used in endoprostheses. 

Making 

their hexagon socket 

structure was a particular 

challenge. Thus, the manufacturers 

sought the advice 

of tool specialists. 

Photo: Paul Horn 

Screws for Endoprosthetics: 

Better to Broach than to Ream 

Cobalt-chrome (CoCr) processing | A manufacturer changed its process to make implant 

screws from a CoCr alloy precisely and to achieve the necessary tool life. The 

manufacturer switched from reaming to broaching and obtained the tool, modified to 

suit its application, from the tool maker. 

We have very high requirements on 

the tool in processing cobaltchrome 

alloys,” says Tibor Veres. Amongst 

other things, this is due to high costs for 

the tool—and this is the reason why the 

managing director of Hymec Fertigungstechnik 

GmbH from Norderstedt/Germany 

relies on tools from Paul Horn 

GmbH in Tübingen/Germany to machine 

the super alloys. 

The precision tools from the company 

in Tübingen are used, amongst other 

things, for broaching a hexagon socket 

into implant screws. These screws belong 

to the assembly group for an artificial 

knee joint. Hymec makes screws of this 

type in hex key sizes of 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm, 

and 5 mm with low tolerance, allowing 

the screw to sit securely on the hex key. 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

CoCr implant screws 

Hexagon socket 

Long tool lives 

Process modification 

Customised special tools 

The surface quality has to be very high so 

as to prevent bacterial growth. 

Usually a hexagon is relatively easy to 

make in titanium using profile reaming, 

explains managing director Veres. “Reaming 

in series is practically impossible with 

cobalt-chrome due to its high stiffness, 

and tool wear is considerable.” CoCr is 

one of the highest-performance materials 

for endoprosthetics; it is biocompatible 

and corrosion-resistant. 

Since such implant screws are challenging 

to process, the Hymec experts consulted 

Thomas Wassersleben at Horn for 

technical advice. Wassersleben suggested 

making a change to the process. The hexagon 

socket needed to be easy to make 

using the precise and process-reliable 

broaching method. The geometry of the 

cutting edge and carbide substrate can 

easily be adapted to the material. 

The first attempts produced the 

solution quickly. “Exact fits can be created 

using the broaching tool, and the surfaces 

are very good,” says Veres. In the broaching 

process, a solid carbide drill from 

Horn’s DD system creates a hole that has a 

diameter of 4.9 mm in the head of the 

screw. The drill from the standard pro - 

duct range has an internal coolant supply 

and a geometry for rust-free steels. 

During the broaching process, the 

sprue of the blind hole acts as the 

discharge or free-wheel area of the 

broaching tool. The low height of the 

screw head left no room for a recess for 

chip discharge. The tool moves along a 

programmed path into the free-wheel 

area to break away the chips at the end of 

the hexagon surface. 

Adjustments needed 

due to hard material 

A super-mini, type N105 tool takes over 

the broaching of the hexagon socket with 

a hex key width of 5 mm. The setting of 

the single strokes is 0.02 mm. After finishing 

one surface, the chuck continues spinning 

to move on to the next surface. The 

processing time for the broaching procedure 

takes about two minutes, and the 

process is carried out on a Mori Seiki CNC 

turning machine. Broaching is done 

through the motion of the turret. 

The hard and tough material cobaltchrome 

made adjustments necessary: in 

the geometry of the cutting edge, the carbide 

substrate, the coating, the processing 

conditions, and the cooling lubricant. 

Hard particles in the alloy tend to produce 

abrasive and crater wear. In addition, cold 

working the surface is a problem with ma- 


chining. Here, the tool blade is sharp and 

not rounded—as with the machining of 

titanium—but unlike with titanium processing, 

the cutting wedge has a more 

stable design. A tough fine-grained type 

is used as a carbide substrate. The coating 

of the tools has to be hard and heat resistant 

for such applications. The cooling lubricant 

of the contact zone between the 

tool and workpiece also has a large influence. 

The production experts 

at Hymec (left) have 

been working together 

with consultants at 

Paul Horn, a tool manufacturer 

in Tübingen, 

for 30 years. 

Photo: Paul Horn 

Veres is pleased with the new processing 

solution: “The tools are very precise; 

hardly any correction is needed following 

a change. Also the service life we achieved 

of 100 screws per blade makes us very 

happy.” Due to the high surface quality of 

the hexagon socket, further post-processing 

is not necessary. 

■ 

Nico Sauermann 

Paul Horn, Tübingen/Germany 

About Hymec 

Hymec Fertigungstechnik GmbH 

specialises in medical technology 

devices, custom-built machinery, 

and sophisticated small 

series—such as orthopaedic implants 

and all related instruments. 

The company makes precision elements 

and complete assemblies 

made of high-tech materials like 

high-strength aluminium and titanium 

alloys, implant steels, and 

super alloys like cobalt-chrome 

(CoCr). Hymec also offers technical 

consultation from conception and 

designing to quality audits. Tibor 

Veres is the second generation to 

head the company founded by his 

father in 1972. 

www.hymec.de 

VISIT US AT COMPAMED 

BOOTH 8B-N27 

Innovative solutions. Engineered to your specific requirements. 

Realize your vision. Partner with the most innovative team in the industry. 

MicroLumen.com 



AI Provides Rapid Conclusions 

for Quality Management 

Statistical process analysis | Thus far, individual human experience has gone into the 

analysis of process data for quality management. Now, an AI system could make its 

own conclusions. Trust in the results needs to be developed in a transition phase, in 

which the AI will be compared with its predecessor system. 

Good or not good? 


can recognise 

relationships that 

remain hidden to 

human under - 

standing. Thus, 

humans need proof 

that they can rely 

on the conclusions 

the AI reaches— 

especially in quality 

assurance. 

Photo: Alexander Limbach/Fotolia 

Few topics have received as much attention 

in recent years as artificial intelligence 

(AI), which uses different 

methods to recreate intelligent, human 

problem-solving. Machine learning is an 

important part of AI: Here, an algorithm 

with training data is able to find its own 

solutions to unknown problems. To do so, 

the algorithm not only relies on rules that 

humans predefined, but also uses abstractions 

it made on its own in the learning 

phase. 

One part of machine learning is artificial 

neural networks that act like the 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 


Improving statistical process analysis 

Faster evaluation of large 

amounts of data 

Independent of individual experience 

human brain. The most popular representatives 

of artificial intelligence resort to 

these artificial neural networks. Examples 

include Google’s Deep Mind algorithm 

that defeated the former Go champion 

Lee Sedol in 2016 and Microsoft’s image 

recognition that made fewer mistakes 

than humans in 2015. 

Expanding and replacing 

known approaches through AI 

Artificial intelligence methods can also be 

introduced to quality management to 

make production more reliable. This is 

where Iconpro GmbH, a start-up in 

Aachen/Germany, comes in. The company 

specialises in AI-based software for 

quality management in production companies. 

These solu tions help new information 

to be gained from present data. 

Existing processes for information processing 

in quality management can be replaced 

by more efficient and more effective 

methods. In statistical process control 

(SPC), for example, quality management 

can benefit from artificial intelligence. 

For the SPC standard tool, defined parameters 

like the diameter of the components 

that are made on a machine are 

recorded throughout production time. 

The recorded values allow conclusions 

to be made on the quality of the production 

process. If critical outliers or noticeable 

trends are detected in the readings, 

the person in charge can be warned. 

For the readings to be interpreted, their 

influence on the process is analysed. 

For this, you have to know how the data 

need to be distributed. The user enters the 

right strategy for this, prompting the algorithm 

to perform the necessary hypo - 

thesis tests. 

Unfortunately, this approach requires 

expertise on process and statistical relationships. 

Artificial intelligence can simplify 

the procedure. A well-trained AI can 

replace a large amount of the previously 

needed expertise and simplify handling 

by controlling processes. Process monitoring 

will become easier to operate, more 


eliable, and, especially for larger process 

datasets, faster. 

Despite the advantages to machine 

learning, there is an important disadvantage 

to algorithms that are based on artificial 

neural networks: the limited ability to 

follow how decisions are made. Users are 

given a result, but they cannot figure out 

About the start-up 

Iconpro was formed as a spin-off of 

the Laboratory for Machine Tools 

and Production Engineering (WZL) 

at RWTH Aachen University. The employees 

develop process-mining 

software for analysing data on production 

processes and quality. Process 

data are extracted from ERP, 

MES, or SPC systems, and analysed 

and correlated by machine learning 

algorithms to recognise relationships. 

Iconpro provides individual 

consultation projects and workshops. 

www.iconpro.com 

Strong and weak AI 

There are two types of artificial intelligence—strong and weak. 

Whilst strong AI deals with cross-domain problem-solving, weak AI is 

limited to a specific task it tries to solve. Great advancements have 

been made in recent years in the field of weak AI, which also includes 

Iconpro’s solutions. In many special tasks, the algorithm’s ability is 

meanwhile surpassing human capacity. 

why exactly the algorithm came to this result. 

This is often referred to as the “black 

box” model. It is in contrast to the “white 

box” model, in which the decision-making 

process is mapped out because either the 

user set the rules or the software deve 

loper explicitly programmed it that way. 

The lack of transparency in decisionmaking 

results, first, in regarding lack of 

trust—users remain sceptical. Iconpro 

takes two approaches to confront this effect. 

One is to allow the two systems, the 

old and new, to be used in parallel during 

the introduction phase of the AI software. 

If the two systems agree over an extended 

period of time, user trust in the new algorithm 

increases. However, the new software 

can also calculate the quality of their 

proposed solution, which can likewise be 

compared with that of the old system. 

This is particularly helpful when the AIbased 

software solution produces a better 

result than the comparator model. These 

two approaches increase trust in the new 

technology. 

AI for statistical process control is only 

one of many possibilities for how artificial 

intelligence can be used in production—after 

all, with digitalisation, more 

and more production data are being recorded. 

An AI can recognise patterns, illustrating 

the relationship between various 

factors in production. This capacity facilitates 

simpler, more effective, and automated 

process optimisation that not only 

responds to problems that have occurred, 

but also warns of potential future problems. 

Iconpro’s software solutions are compatible 

with standard quality management 

platforms like Q-DAS or SAP QM. 

With these solutions, companies can take 

another step towards zero-defect production 

and, most notably, further increase 

the safety in production stressed in 

ISO 13485 through improved processes. ■ 

Raphael Maas, Markus Ohlenforst 

Iconpro, Aachen/Germany 

www.iconpro.com 

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Tel. +49 7181 606 - 100 info@contexo-gmbh.de 



Liquid Silicone Rubber: 

New Properties Available 

LSR | In medical technology, more and more devices are being made of liquid silicone 

rubber (LSR). One reason is the growing number of materials: New types of LSR, for 

example, have fewer volatile compounds or vulcanise in less time. 

Types of LSR that have a low coefficient 

of friction are in demand 

for LSR syringes. Oilbleeding 

of the substance is not 

desired here. 

Many medical devices need to be biocompatible, 

last long, and be resistant 

to chemicals. They also have to maintain 

their properties over a wide temperature 

range to stay safe and effective for 

their users. For this reason, more and 

more devices are being made from LSR in 

the injection-moulding process. A recent 

study from Freedonia reports the US market 

for LSR will grow annually by 8.3 percent 

by 2023. This US market research 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) 

Low concentration of volatile 

compounds (LV LSR) 

Curing at lower temperatures (LTC LSR) 

Photo: Wacker Chemie 

company expects sales to increase, especially 

through the growing number of 

special LSR materials, including self-lubricating, 

self-adhesive, and non-postcure 

types. These new materials improve 

processing efficiency with injection 

moulding by rendering unnecessary additional 

time- and labour-intensive production 

steps like those following curing or 

the application of coatings or binders. 

Freedonia analyst Kent Furst is confident 

that the medical market for LSR will 

grow faster than in any other industry—with 

the effect that the medical market 

will have overtaken the automotive industry 

as the leading market within four 

years. LSR will be increasingly used, in 

particular, for implants and mobile devices, 

such as, for measuring blood pressure 

or heart rate. Furst identifies as the 

third group, new, ever smaller medical 

devices with more complex designs. LSR 

is ideal, in particular, for the manufacture 

of micro-components. 

For medical device manufacturers, LSR 

has advantages over solid silicone, including, 

for example, shorter curing times 

through addition-curing technology, 

higher hardness, less of a tendency to develop 

ridges, lower curing temperatures, 

and better consistency and predictability 

between batches. “The material is also 

well suited for automation. This helps to 

limit contamination for production in 

cleanrooms,” says Freedonia analyst 

Furst. 

Low viscosity facilitates faster 

filling of cavities 

Dr. Hans Peter Wolf from Dow Silicones 

Deutschland pointed out at the Silicone 

Elastomers US Summit 2018 in Cleveland, 

Ohio/USA, that, compared to solid 

silicone, LSR has the advantage during 

processing on the injection-moulding machine 

that this material can fill more cavities 

in a shorter injection time due to the 

lower viscosity. Also, the low viscosity—LSR 

can vary in consistency from 

water to honey—helps realise thin-walled 

and complex component shapes. Long 

flow paths in the tool are no problem for 

LSR. 

With the new type of LSR called Silastic, 

Dow also made further improvements 

to viscosity, making possible lower 

injection pressure and higher injection 

speed. The injection moulder can now 

double injection speed compared to the 

predecessor material Xiameter. 


Additive manufacturing with LSR 

Meanwhile, LSR is being used in additive 

manufacturing as well. In recent years, 

Dow and Wacker developed types of LSR 

for 3D printers. At the end of 2016, Dow 

introduced Evolv3D LC 3335 LSR which 

was developed for German Reprap’s 3D 

printer. Wacker is going against the grain 

to stand out as a service provider by developing 

a new printing technology, a industrial 

3D silicone printer, and 

the necessary materials—and 

offers the service under the Aceo 

brand. The next-generation device 

can print four different silicone 

materials at the same time. 

It can make objects in colour and 

with silicones of different hardness. 

Tumours or vascular diseases 

recorded using imaging 

procedures can now be highlighted in 

colour and reconstructed with different 

degrees of hardness. This allows surgeons 

to prepare for surgery with accuracy 

and gives them a better picture of 

possible complications. The 3D printer 

also has a new auto-control function: 

The device measures the silicone layer 

applied with every printing operation. 

Any deviations from the target value of 

the CAD model detected by the programme 

will be corrected automatically 

when the next layer is applied. 

Three-dimensional silicone model of a 

human liver. The new generation of the 

Aceo K2 printer can print up to four different 

silicones at the same time. 

Photo: Wacker Chemie 

In addition to standard materials, 

manufacturers are developing more and 

more special LSR materials. The new materials 

include oil-bleeding types of LSR 

like Dow’s Silastic CV 9204–30 LSR and 

Wacker’s Elastosil LR 3072/50. After curing 

and the development of adhesion, a 

thin film of silicone oil forms. The released 

oil gives the vulcanised rubber a 

smooth surface. In this way, a cable can, 

for example, be easily be advanced 

through an injected single-wire seal. 

In medical technology, however, surfaces 

that release oil are usually undesirable. 

If slipperiness is wanted, the 

LSR types with intrinsically smooth 

surfaces like Silpuran 6760/50 work well. 

Wacker Chemie AG from Munich/ 

Germany recently gave the material a 

second property: self-adhesion. The material 

can be combined with PA or PBT to 

form combinations of hard and soft materials. 

Another trend is low-volatile (LV), 

non-post-cure (NPC) LSR, such as Momentive’s 

Silopren LSR 2640 LV, Dow’s 

Silastic NPC 9300, and Wacker’s Silpuran 

6xxx. Typically, the concentration of volatile 

compounds is 0.25 percent without 

post curing, according to Dow expert 

Wolf. To lower the concentration of volatile 

compounds in conventional LSR 

technology so that the concentration 

stays under the limit, components have to 

be post-vulcanised in an oven at temperatures 

of 200°C, or tempered—which 

comes with the disadvantage of additional 

process steps and handling, leading 

to higher costs and a greater risk of crosscontamination. 

At last year’s German Rubber Conference 

(DKT) in Nuremberg, injectionmoulding 

machine manufacturer Engel 

demonstrated how to make seals for 

ventilation masks using Dow’s Silastic 

NPC 9300–50 LSR. Elmet’s four-cavity 

tool and dosing system were used for this 

application. 

Wacker has been selling types of LSR 

with at least a 90-percent-lower concentration 

of volatile compounds since the 

beginning of 2019. Specifically, this 

applies to the product groups Elastosil LR 

3xxx, Elastosil LR 6xxx, and Silpuran 

6xxx, which were made in Europe. The 

upgrade is not reported to have an effect 

on the mechanical, physical, or chemical 

properties of the elastomer. The device releases 

and certificates that are so important 

in medical technology thus retain 

their full validity. Testing conducted by 

the chemical company in Munich showed 

also that the injection-moulding and demoulding 

behaviour does not change with 

the LV formulation. 

Cross-linking 

at lower temperatures 

Another development in this area is lowtemperature-cure 

(LTC) LSR that can be 

cross-linked at temperatures from 100°C 

to 110°C. Within this temperature 

window, curing slows considerably with 

conventional LSR. The advantages of the 

new LTC materials: They can be processed 

with thermosensitive thermoplastics 

like PE or PP in the two-component 

injection-moulding process to form 

combinations of hard and soft materials. 

Also, they allow for the integration of 

pharmaceutical substances or sensitive 

electronic components. 

Dow manager Wolf says pot lives of 

more than 72 hours can still be reached 

with Silastic LTC LSR. The pot life is how 

long the LSR, which is mixed from two 

cross-linking components at the injection 

moulding machine, stays pumpable. LSR 

processing is namely a challenge for injection 

moulders in that the two components 

cross-link quickly after mixing, making 

the mixed material in the machines no 

longer pumpable over the weekend without 

having to be rinsed with fresh material. 

Together with Engel, Dow presented 

the use of Silastic LTC 9400–50 LSR 

for the production of an air valve for 

beverage bottles at Fakuma two years 

ago. The air valves with a diameter of 

roughly 50 mm have a geometrically complex 

structure with fluctuating wall thickness. 

■ 

Sabine Koll 

Journalist in Böblingen/Germany 


■ [ RESEARCH ] 

Rising Tiger 

Research in Lithuania | Companies can easily find research partners in Lithuania. Its 

open, interdisciplinary cooperation network makes the country unique. In the area of 

medical technology, Lithuania stands out with its combined know-how in engineering, 

life sciences, and IT like AI. 

Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital (shown here), is in positive competition with Kaunas, the engineering 

city located only a few kilometres away and has excellent transport connections. 

Photo: prosign/Fotolia.com 

As one of the three Baltic states, Lithuania 

borders Russia—but is part 

of Northern Europe, as opposed to Eastern 

Europe. This is how the Lithuanians 

see it, and this distinction is very important 

to them. They would rather compare 

themselves with their oversea Scandinavian 

neighbours and, for example, the 

pioneering role Scandinavia paves in digital 

health, than with their former occupying 

power from the times of the Soviet 

Union. 

There is more to the story than random 

chance. Lithuania has one of the best developed 

4G networks in Europe and introduced 

a central digital e-health system in 

YOUR KEYWORDS 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Lithuania 

Medical technology 

Research 

Interdisciplinarity 

Partnerships 

Open-access networks 

2015. In matters of production and research 

in medical technology, the southernmost 

of the three “Baltic Tigers” rises 

up with strong roots in electronics and engineering, 

which nowadays is prominently 

complemented by software engineering 

capability. 

This combination allows the nation to 

seize the potential of global MedTech 

trends of medical devices increasing connectivity 

and more digital health solutions, 

like a strong value shift from devices 

to software and services. With success: 

“Lithuania’s Life Sciences sector, 

which also includes medical and health 

technologies, already makes 1 percent of 

the country’s GDP,” says Gediminas Koryzna, 

the director of the Business Development 

Department at Invest Lithuania. 

“Lithuania Life Sciences sector companies 

revenue grew on average 19 percent annually 

making Lithuania one the fastest 

growing life sciences industry in the EU. 

The country‘s ambition is to keep up the 

momentum of growth with a goal for the 

Life Sciences sector to yield 5 percent of 

GDP by 2030 in Lithuania.” 

The country creates the know-how 

itself with its good universities: According 

to IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 

2019, the digital/technological skills are 

ranked first worldwide—and by the way: 

fourth worldwide is ranked the agility of 

companies. Over 27% of students enrol in 

STEM (science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics) study fields for their 

higher education, whilst another 18% 

enrol in the biomedical science area. 

Well educated and eager 

to go the extra mile 

The country is educated: 56% of the 

population have a higher education degree 

and 84% of young professionals 

speak English proficiently. What also 

makes Lithuania particularly attractive 

for European companies is the work mentality 

of employees. According to a study 

by fDi Markets (Financial Times, USA), 

75% of surveyed companies in Lithuania 

rate their employees’ eagerness to go the 

extra mile as “excellent” and employee 

dedication and ability to learn as “outstanding.” 


Photo: Oxipi 

The Oxipit team led by 

CEO Gediminas Peksys 

(with beard, in the 

middle). He says, “We 

took a ‘technology deterministic’ 

route. We 

devoted a lot of time to 

scientific research, 

clinical trials, and developed 

a fully functional 

medical imaging 

solution which received 

CE certification in less 

than two years.” 

Every 

child 

is one of a kind and 

unique. Each child 

needs individual 

support according to 

their needs. Please 

help us by donating. 

Thank you! 

The country is not yet providing 

enough work for these young professionals—and 

some move abroad. Still, Lithuania 

sets the course to provide a future 

for the innovative talents in their home 

country as well: By funding start-ups and 

fostering a unique, open cooperation 

landscape between research facilities and 

companies, Lithuania wants to support 

not only its own MedTech industry, but 

also attract foreign companies: Coor - 

dinated by the Agency of Science, Innovation, 

and Technology (MITA), the openaccess 

network for R&D consists of 14 universities, 

13 research units, 7 science & 

technology parks, and 25 open-access 

centres, making it the largest innovation 

infrastructure, service, and competence 

network in the Baltic states. Large and 

small companies alike can easily find the 

right research partner here. 

Successful cooperation 

between players 

Even universities themselves generate a 

good output of innovation in medical 

technology with their own start-up sponsorships, 

open-access networks, and research 

parks—leading the way are the Lithuanian 

University of Health Sciences 

(LSMU) in Kaunas, the largest institution 

of higher education for biomedical 

sciences in Lithuania, and the Kaunas 

University of Technology (KTU), the largest 

of its kind in Lithuania and the Baltic 

states, amongst others, with the Health 

Telematics Science Institute. An example 

of such successful cooperation is a non-invasive 

blood test by laser spectroscopy developed 

by LSMU researchers and laser 

experts at Brolis Semiconductors in Vilnius: 

The new sensor could be installed in 

Research & Funding 

Lithuanian University of Health 

Sciences (LSMU) 

https://lsmuni.lt/en 

Kaunas University of Technology 

(KTU) 

https://en.ktu.edu/ 

KTU National Innovation and Entrepreneurship 

Centre 

https://niec.ktu.edu/ 

KTU Open Access Centre 

https://oac.ktu.edu/ 

KTU Start-up Space 

https://startupspace-en.ktu.edu/ 

Incubator “Kaunas Science and Technology 

Park” 

http://kaunomtp.lt/en 

Santaka Valley 

www.santakosslenis.lt/en 

Sunrise Valley Science 

https://ssmtp.lt/en 

Santara Valley2 

http://santariskes.eu/ 

MedTech Clusters 

Wellness cluster iVita 

www.i-vita.lt/en.html 

IT in Medicine Cluster 

http://klaster.lt/en/klateris/inform 

aciniu-technologiju-medicinojeklasteris/ 

Odontology Innovation Cluster 

http://klaster.lt/en/klateris/odonto 

logijos-inovaciju-klasteris-2/ 

Advanced Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation 

Cluster 

http://klaster.lt/en/klateris/pazan 

giu-ortopedijos-ir-reabilitacijospriemoniu-klasteris/ 

Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine 

Innovation Cluster 

www.kltc.lt/ 

Tel.: 0800/50 30 300 (free of charge) 

IBAN DE22 4306 0967 2222 2000 00 

BIC GENO DE M1 GLS 

www.sos-kinderdoerfer.de 

2016/1 


■ [ RESEARCH ] 

smartphones and -watches, becoming an 

easily accessible blood test. An exciting alternative 

to the otherwise necessary 

needle pricks for diabetics, for example. 

Often the researchers themselves are 

able to turn their ideas into market-ready 

products—and sell them worldwide. A 

From the Expert 

well-known example is inventor Prof. Arminas 

Ragauskas, head of the Health 

Telematics Science Institute, KTU, who 

received the European Inventor Award 

2016 for his invention of two devices for 

measuring intracranial pressure and 

blood flow. These advancements can be 

We work on an innovative open-access principle 

The Lithuanian University of Health 

Sciences (LSMU) is the largest Lithuanian 

university in the field of biomedicine and 

one of the founders of the Kaunas 

Clinics and the Kaunas Clinical Hospital. 

■ How important is medical technology 

for LSMU? 

Lithuania’s life sciences sector is the fastest 

growing in the EU with annual 

growth of 19 percent. LSMU actively contributes 

to the process of growth of the 

life science sector in Lithuania. The current 

spotlight of research is pointed on 

bioinformatics. LSMU aimed to create 

and develop an infrastructure and 

human resources for modern fundamental 

and applied research and to use it 

rationally. The research conducted at 

LSMU is more practical in nature, with 

theories applied to solve problems. We 

can offer a variety of innovative solutions 

that can be applied in the sector, from IT 

solutions, medical technologies, and 

software to implants, prostheses, and 

new or improved biotechnology products. 

■ What is special about medtech research 

at LSMU? 

LSMU creates new knowledge for the improvement 

of both human and animal 

health and life quality. The university’s 

infrastructure works on an innovative 

open-access principle, which means that 

both internal and external users have 

the opportunity to use modern and upto-date 

scientific equipment to meet the 

needs of both science and business, the 

public sector, or study. LSMU is often 

reached by companies that have ideas 

for creating or improving a particular 

medical device. LSMU can offer a complete 

services cycle—from molecular 

Photo Laurynas Jarukas 

Laurynas Jarukas is 

Head of the Development 

Department 

of LSMU. 

mechanisms via preclinical development 

till clinical investigation. 

■ How is the cooperation between university, 

clinic, and industry organised? 

LSMU has a quite unique structure—all 

activities are being implemented at 

medical and veterinary academies. This 

ensures the overall approach to health 

and gains many additional values for integrated 

studies, research, and clinical 

practice. For our innovative culture development 

and for the creation and implementation 

of health-related innovations, 

we are working closely with our 

community members: LSMU gymnasium, 

LSMU Hospital Kaunas Clinics, 

Kaunas Clinical Hospital, Animal Research 

Centre for pre-clinical research 

and testing for early stages in innovations 

development, and others. LSMU 

has the whole facilities to generate the 

idea and to develop it through various 

testing phases until reaching the final 

stage—production. For example we can 

scout the ideas for health sector innovation, 

develop it in our studies/research 

departments, test the product on animals 

(if necessary) or other models, and 

run the biomedicine study/clinical investigation 

in order to measure the impact 

(any of it) on human health, and, finally, 

manufacture the product in the partnering 

business institution. 

used as an unique, non-invasive method 

for diagnosing traumatic brain injury, 

strokes, glaucoma, and brain tumours 

quickly and reliably. The devices are sold 

by the Boston Neurosciences (USA). 

Good examples of successful interdisciplinary 

cooperation are the founders of 

Oxipit, a team of five scientists, coming 

from diverse academic backgrounds, including 

mathematics, theoretical physics, 

data science, and medicine—and who received 

several awards in the fields of artificial 

intelligence and machine learning. 

The idea for the company came out of a 

tech hackathon: A radiologist reported of 

increasing work volume, which delayed 

diagnostics. The solution: Chesteye. 

Quick „second opinion“ 

for the radiologist 

CEO Gediminas Peksys explains: “After a 

chest x-ray is taken, Chesteye CAD automatically 

analyses the image and provides 

preliminary diagnosis and diagnosis report. 

The doctor is already provided with 

the report for the first time when he sees 

the x-ray image. He can concur with the 

diagnosis or augment the report with his 

own remarks. This saves time for manual 

diagnosis description, helps to identify 

overlooked findings, and provides a valuable 

‘second opinion’ to the medical 

specialists.” Using Chesteye could save up 

to at least 30% of the time spent on each 

patient. Another advantage: Chesteye 

also arranges patient scans by urgency 

automatically, reducing the time to treatment 

for time-sensitive medical conditions. 

Founded in 2017, the company received 

the CE certification mark this year. 

That Lithuania has been playing in the 

premier league still unnoticed by many is 

shown not lastly in that LSMU and KTU 

have become the centres for health innovations 

of the European Institute of Innovation 

& Technology (EIT) Health in 

2018. Likewise, Lithuania organises the 

biannual Life Sciences Baltic event. Last 

but not least, the science and innovations 

centre, KTU Santaka Valley, one of the largest 

in the Baltics, is now being regarded 

as “the new Silicon Valley of the Baltics.” 

The Baltic Tiger is on the rise. 

■ 

Anke Biester 

Science journalist from 

Aichstetten/Germany 

https://mita.lrv.lt/en/ 

www.oxipit.ai 


Under Your Skin 

Real-time tracking | Researchers in Dresden have been 

able to track moving micro-objects deep in the tissue in 

real time. 

Visions for minimally invasive micro-surgery—real-time tracking 

of moving micro-objects deep in the tissue is an important 

step in the right direction. 

Micro-implants, mini-catheters, and tiny medical instruments—smaller 

and smaller objects are moved through 

the human body. Researchers are now working on the next generation 

of minimally invasive micro-surgery: Small micro-robots 

with their own drive need to be sent through the body and tissue 

to transport substances and objects. At the same time, new 

methods must be developed to locate these micro-objects and 

monitor their movement. 

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials 

Research Dresden (IFW) have made an important step in this direction: 

They were able to track the movement of individual 

micro-objects below centimetre-thick tissue in real time. To do 

so, they used multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT). 

This new technology combines the advantages of ultrasound imaging 

in terms of depth and resolution with the possibilities of 

optical methods to map molecular structures. MSOT can distinguish 

clearly the spectral signatures of artificial micro-objects 

from those of tissue molecules. The micro-objects were coated 

with gold nano-rods, which significantly improves the contrast 

of the signal. 

The photoacoustic effect was discovered by Alexander Graham 

Bell in 1881. He proved that the light energy absorbed by a material 

is converted into an acoustic signal. Modern optoacoustic 

imaging systems use high-energy pulsed lasers and high-sensitivity 

broadband ultrasound detectors. Optical absorption in tissue 

can be recorded and visualised by stimulating tissue with a laser 

pulse and measuring the sound waves. 

www.ifw-dresden.de 

Photo: Science Picture Co/Alamy Stock Photo 

SIMPLY 

SAFE 

VALIDATABLE PACKAGING PROCESSES 

FOR THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY AND 

CLEANROOM SECTOR. 

hv 321 K-V MediVac 

Vacuum chamber machines 

with touchscreen 

hv 460-1300 AP2/4-V 

Nozzle style vacuum sealers with or 

without gas purge applications 

Hall 11.1 

Stand G10 

Hall 8a 

Stand F43 

medtech@hawo.com 01/2019 medicine&technology | www.hawo.com 65

■ [ INNOVATIONS ] 

Diversity Thanks to 

Modular System 

Cleanroom laser cabin | Cleanroom laser cabins ensure 

technical cleanliness during the manufacturing of optics 

and lasers. 

Laser cabins are offered in the modular construction typical 

for BC Technology, which allows them to be tailored to the 

customer’s specific requirements. If needed, mobile and adjustable-height 

versions are also available and can be installed flexibly, 

exactly where there is a need. The compact laser cabins are 

DIN EN ISO 14644–1 qualified and achieve at least cleanroom 

class 5 through the principle of low-turbulence displacement 

flow over the optical table. In the environment of the optical 

table, ISO class 6/7 is achieved, which reduces to a minimum the 

risk of contamination from personnel. The special design of the 

cabins makes them easy to clean as well. 

Depending on requirements, a special laser-protection partition 

wall system, laser-protection curtains, or PVC cleanroom curtains 

are also available as a side enclosure. The right protective 

housing is determined for each application in close consultation 

with the customer and according to the valid DIN EN 12254 and 

DIN EN 60825 standards. For achieving the necessary cleanroom 

class in compliance with DIN EN ISO 14644–1, fully adjustable 

The laser cabins are DIN EN ISO 14644–1 qualified and achieve 

at least cleanroom class 5 through the principle of low-turbulence 

displacement flow over the optical table. 

EC fans that create low-turbulence displacement flow were integrated 

into the cabins. The EC fans are extremely energy efficient 

too. The dimensions of the laser cabins can be selected 

from standard variants or modified individually to meet requirements. 

In addition to permanently installed and mobile cabins, 

ceiling suspension of the cabins is also possible. The frames are 

made of steel coated with epoxy resin in RAL 9010 for protection. 

Depending on requirement, comprehensive protective 

housing can be selected to separate the work area. 

BC Technology, Dettingen an der Erms/Germany 

www.bc-technology.info 

Photo: BC Technology 

BLDC servo motor 

Motor, 45 mm Long, Reaches 100,000 RPM 

Coordinate measuring system 

Simple Handling Eliminates User Error 

A new model was added to the 

BHx series of brushless DC 

servo motors with a 16-mm diameter: 

the 45-mm model 

1645 … BHS. At 100,000 rpm, 

the BLDC motor achieves a 

much higher speed than the 

same size motors currently 

available on the market. The 

maximum radial load is 18 N, 

power density 58.5 W, and 

torque 8 mNm. With the right 

Photo: Fritz Faulhaber 

planetary gear, the motor can 

generate a torque of 800 mNm 

at 12,000 rpm. Efficiency of 

90% as well as minimal heat 

build-up and vibration make 

this motor extremely energyefficient 

as well. Its very short 

response time is achieved 

thanks to exceptionally low 

values in mechanical start 

time constant and rotor inertia 

as well as very fast angular acceleration. 

Together with the 

flat slope of the n/M characteristic 

curve (429 rpm/ 

mNm), the result is good running 

performance of the 

motor. 

Dr. Fritz Faulhaber, 

Schönaich/Germany 

www.faulhaber.com 

The fully mobile DPA Industrial 

coordinate measuring 

system was combined with the 

C1 Camera and the tried and 

tested DPA photogrammetry 

measuring system. The complete 

solution is ideal for 

measuring volumes of up to 

10 m on the diagonal and generates 

digital models with an 

accuracy of up to 10 μm. 

Thanks to its wi-fi functionality 

and long battery life, DPA 

Industrial is a user-friendly 

system for taking measurements 

directly in the manufacturing 

environment without 

causing costly interruptions in 

production. DPA Industrial 

was developed to make photogrammetry 

measurements as 

simple as they are robust. The 

C1 Camera is a durable DSLR 

camera unit designed for use 

in harsh manufacturing environments. 

The robust housing 

also facilitates a highly 

simplified measurement process, 

in which adjustments in 

settings and operating elements 

take a back seat. Even 

non-experts can use the pointand-shoot 

camera to obtain 

measurement results that 

meet the highest metrology 

standards. The unit has its 

own button for image capture 

and a viewfinder for controlling 

the visual field. 

Hexagon Manufacturing 

Intelligence, Wetzlar/Germany 

www.hexagonmi.com 


Additional Laser Brings More Flexibility 

Photo: Zorn Microsolution 

Processing centre | It can do more than just machining: 

Zorn Maschinenbau’s five-axis processing centre 

Micro One not only mills, cuts, and welds; it can also 

laser after a simple modification. 

Thanks to an additional laser module, the Micro One five-axis 

processing centre made by Zorn Maschinenbau GmbH, 

Stockach/Germany, produces with more flexibility than conventional 

variants. The existing work spindle can quickly be replaced 

by a laser source. Machine operators can make the modifications 

themselves in virtually no time and without much effort. 

A fibre laser can currently be installed as a laser source. If 

desired, operators can change over to other laser sources at any 

time to meet requirements. This feature gives end users different 

options for being able to manufacture their sophisticated workpieces 

precisely. 

The laser can process a wide range of materials and workpiece 

sizes. For example, users can utilise the laser to assist in drilling, 

cutting, welding, soldering, stripping, labelling surfaces, and 

giving surfaces structures. Metals and ceramics can be processed, 

but so can other materials—on request. Feeding or racking 

equipment and even equipment for visually measuring components 

can be integrated into the production workflow. 

The coordinated lasers and optics allow for extremely flexible 

and precise production, especially in medical and dental technology. 

The five-axis processing centre can cover virtually all 

requirements in these industries with high quality. 

The work spindle of the five-axis processing centre can quickly be 

switched for a laser. 

Zorn Maschinenbau, Stockach/Germany 

www.zorn-maschinenbau.com 

Packaging machine 

Traysealer Added to Portfolio 

Multivac expands its X-line machine generation 

by adding the TX 710 traysealer 

which is equipped with a comprehensive 

sensor system and achieves seamless digitalisation. 

The high capacity of this versatile 

and compact system results from the 

interplay of a robust mechanical concept 

and an intelligent control system. The 

output is up to 25 cycles per minute for air 

packs and up to 18 cycles per minute for 

modified atmosphere packages. A comprehensive 

sensor system is key to the 

rapid and precise processes. As part of intelligent 

machine control, Multi Sensor 

Control determines, amongst other 

things, the switching times for different 

control circuits and compensates them 

specifically by starting the subsequent 

processes early. As another component of 

intelligent machine control, the Flow 

Manager controls the servo drives and can 

synchronise coordinated sequences with 

precision and process reliability. This 

guarantees maximum output and high 

process stability with every cycle. Thanks 

to the modular design of TX 710, the frequent 

format changes typical for traysealers 

can be done in less than five minutes. 

The related racking and preheating sys- 

Photo: Multivac 

tems can be used to preheat the tool to the 

production temperature, making TX 710 

ready to produce the next batch right 

after the change. 

Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller, 

Wolfertschwenden/Germany 

www.multivac.com 


■ [ INNOVATIONS ] 

Publisher: 

Katja Kohlhammer 

Publishing House: Konradin-Verlag 

Robert Kohlhammer GmbH 

Address: Ernst-Mey-Straße 8, 

70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen, 

Germany 

Managing Director: Peter Dilger 

EDITORIAL STAFF 

Editor-in-Chief: 

Senior editor: 

Contributing editors: 

Editorial Assistant: 

Design director: 

Dr. Birgit Oppermann (op), 

Phone +49 711 7594–459 

Susanne Schwab (su), 

Phone +49 711 7594–444 

Bettina Gonser (bg), 

Sabine Koll (sk) 

Daniela Engel, 

Phone +49 711 7594–452, 

Fax +49 711 7594–1452 

E-Mail: daniela.engel@konradin.de 

Vera Müller, 

Phone +49 711 7594–422 

ADVERTISING 

Advertising production Joachim Linckh, 

director: Phone +49 711 7594–565, 

Fax +49 711 7594–1565 

Order management Matthias Rath, 

director: Phone +49 711 7594–323, 

Fax +49 711 7594–1323 

Current advertising rate list no. 14 from Oct. 1, 2019 

Radio-opaque stainless steel wire 

Custom Material for Fully Visible Stents and Guidewires 

Anomet’s radio-opaque stainless steel 

wire can be made with controlled intensity 

of radio opacity to optimise visibility 

under fluoroscopy for manufacturing 

stents, guidewires, or other implantable 

Photo: Anomet 

devices. The wire is made of gold, platinum, 

tantalum, and similar alloys metallurgically 

bonded to a stainless steel core 

with 2% or more cladding thickness. The 

product is offered in outer diameter sizes 

0.05 to 1.52 mm and has a smooth, even 

finish. The wire is easier to see than a 

large wire with marker bands, and OEMs 

are able to select the radio-opaque alloys 

best suited for their own devices and their 

own applications. Two or three precious 

metals and core materials, including Nitinol 

wire, can be selected to achieve a wide 

range of desired properties like resistance 

to corrosion and high conductivity. Anomet 

can meet precise specifications up to an 

outer diameter of 3.2 mm. 

Anomet Products, Shrewsbury, MA/USA 

www.anometproducts.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

Reader service: 

Ute Krämer, 

Phone +49 711 7594–5850, 

Fax +49 711 7594–15850 

E-Mail: ute.kraemer@konradin.de 

Single copy € 11.20 (including tax, excluding shipping). 

Contact the publisher to make an order. 

Stepper motors 

Torque, 15% to 30% Better than 

Comparable Motors 

INTERNATIONAL OFFICES 

Belgium, France, Italy, 

Luxemburg, Switzerland: Great Britain, Ireland: 

IFF media ag 

Jens Smith Partnership 

Frank Stoll 

The Court, Long Sutton 

Technoparkstrasse 3 

GB-Hook, Hampshire RG 29 1TA 

CH-8406 Winterthur Phone 01256 862589 

Tel: +41 52 633 08 88 Fax 01256 862182 

Fax: +41 52 633 08 99 E-Mail: media@jens.demon.co.uk 

e-mail: f.stoll@iff-media.ch 

Japan: 

USA: 

Mediahouse Inc. 

D.A. Fox Advertising Sales 

Kudankita 2-Chome Building Inc. Detlef Fox 

2–3–6, Kudankita 5 Penn Plaza, 19th Floor 

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102 New York, NY 10001 

Phone 03 3234–2161 Phone +1 212 8963881 

Fax 03 3234–1140 Fax +1 212 6293988 

E-Mail: detleffox@comcast.net 

Featured articles reflect the opinion of the author, but not 

necessarily that of the editorial staff. We will not be responsible 

for manuscripts sent without solicitation. All articles published 

in medicine&technology are protected by copyright. 

All rights, and translations, reserved. 

Reproductions of all kinds are prohibited without the written 

approval from the publisher. 

The place of fulfillment and jurisdiction is Stuttgart. 

Printing company: 

Konradin Druck, Leinfelden-Echterdingen 

Printed in Germany 

© 2019 by Konradin-Verlag Robert Kohlhammer GmbH, 

Leinfelden-Echterdingen 

Photo: Nanotec 

With SCA5618, Nanotec now offers a 

stepper motor that has 15 to 30 percent 

more torque than comparable 

motors with a flange size of 56 mm 

(NEMA 23). Thanks to improved 

stator geometry and optimised magnet 

materials, rotor inertia is no 

higher than that of the predecessor 

model. SCA5618 comes in three 

lengths and with two different windings. 

This stepper motor’s holding 

torque ranges from 0.6 to 2.3 Ncm, 

depending on length; its resolution is 1.8 degrees. For higher 

resolution, SCA5618 can also be combined with an optical or 

magnetic encoder. The integrated connector allows for easy connection 

to customer-specific cables and simple motor replacement. 

The high-torque stepper motor can be ordered with one or 

two motor shafts. The shaft end comes in two versions—with 

D-cut and an 8-mm diameter or with a 6.35-mm diameter without 

D-cut. Together with the newly developed GP56 high-torque 

planetary gearboxes, the result is a good motor-gear combination. 

Nanotec Electronic, Feldkirchen/Germany 

www.nanotec.de 


Force and displacement sensors 

Sensors Measure Forces in Medical Devices 

Photo: Inelta 

Inelta’s force sensors are used, amongst 

other things, in the compression mechanisms 

of mammographs. Based on the 

requirement and forces, variants are 

available as load cells, S-form sensors, or 

shear beam sensors. The FS12 shear beam 

force sensor weighs 20 g and is available 

in variants 100 N, 200 N, or 500 N for 

pull/push forces. LVDT sensors are used 

to record very small displacements and 

changes in position. They take inductive 

and contactless measurements, achieving 

practically unlimited resolution that 

depends only on the quality of signal 

enhancement. Inelta also makes miniature 

LVDTs: Sensors from the Izal series 

are only slightly larger than a match. 

Inelta, Taufkirchen/Germany 

www.inelta.de/en/ 

Twice the Measuring Volume 

of the Predecessor 

Coordinate measuring machine | Werth Tomo Scope XS 

Plus can record workpieces up to about 450 mm in 

length and smaller objects with high resolution or 

shortened measurement time. 

By using the Tomo Scope XS Plus coordinate 

measuring machine with computed 

tomography from Werth Messtechnik 

GmbH, Giessen/Germany, users see 

many benefits including double the 

measuring volume of the Tomo Scope XS. 

Werth transmission tubes can take highresolution 

measurements at high performance 

and with short measurement 

times. The monoblock design, consisting 

of tube, generator, and vacuum generator, 

makes the x-ray tube practically maintenance-free. 

The open design results in unlimited 

service life since wearing parts can 

be replaced as needed. The tube comes 

with 130 or 160 kV maximum tube voltage, 

allowing for a wide range of uses for 

plastic and metal workpieces. In grid tomography, 

multiple x-ray images of various 

workpiece areas are taken one after 

another. The workpiece volume is reconstructed 

from the images taken of the 

workpiece at different angles, and the 

The Tomo Scope XS Plus coordinate measuring 

machine has a large measuring range 

and a small footprint. 

subvoxeling method is used to calculate 

the measuring points at the transitions 

between materials. This method can be 

used to measure workpieces up to about 

450 mm long. Alternatively, smaller objects 

can be recorded with high resolution 

or together with reduced measurement 

times. The measurement results are complete 

workpiece volumes at nearly any 

resolution setting in all coordinate axes. 

Werth Messtechnik, Giessen 

www.werth.de 

Phozo: Werth Messtechnik 

Genvi TM the new generation 

of 3-port solenoid valves 

Highly useful for molecular diagnostics, 

oxygen delivery, compression therapy, 

ventilators, environmental analyzers, 

breath analysis in 

portable or stationary 

instruments. 

In a miniature 

10mm package, 

genvi features 

high flow capacity, 

low leakage and 

ultra-low power 

consumption. 

LEE Hydraulische 

Miniaturkomponenten GmbH 

Am Limespark 2 · D- 65843 Sulzbach 

+49(0)6196 /7 73 69 - 0 

info@lee.de 

www.lee.de 


THE LEE COMPANY MORE THAN 70 YEARS SINCE 1948

Düsseldorf, 18. - 21.11.2019 

Hall 08B, Booth 8BL27 

FAULHABER applications 

Dynamics and power. 

Aquestionoftechnology. 

With FAULHABER drive systems for prosthetics you push the limits 

of what is possible for people with disabilities. 

Further information at faulhaber.com/p/bxt/en 

WE CREATE MOTION

medicine&technology 01.2019

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