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Technical Papers
world, who suffer from breath- ing problems. Aportable oxygen system device improve the mental and physical ability of patients, and their quality of life, reports Festo. Japanese company Musashi Medical Laboratory supplies easy- to-use controllers as small as a smartphone, making handling easier and improving comfort. Compact piezo valves made by Festo silently supply oxygen.
Ef cient oxygen cosumption
The device used for COPD is matched to a patient’s respiratory rate. “A sensor ensures that the regulator detects inhalation. The right amount of oxygen is then mixed with the respiratory air,” explains Festo. During inhalation, the sensor detects a pressure drop and transmits a signal to the reg- ulator which in turn opens the proportional valve. Oxygen then ows from the oxygen bottle – not uninterruptedly as with other devices, but only for as long as the patient is inhaling. As soon as inhalation has been completed, the piezo valve shuts off the supply of oxygen. “Oxygen consumption is thus much more ef cient. The oxygen bottle doesn’t have to be re lled as often. The patient’s range of action is increased as a result,” highlights the valve man- ufacturer. Even better: thanks to the energy ef cient piezo valve, the device has a vastly improved battery life.
Anaesthesia and intensive care
Further applications are pneu- matic integration solutions for surgical tools and regulating uids in dental service units. Anaesthe- sia, intensive care and emergency medicine also require valves.
Medical technology will face further challenges in the future: “Chronic diseases have increased
in the last years, alongside expec- tations for staying mobile. As a consequence, demand for ener- gy-ef cient components with a small form-factor grew,” explains Peter Jaschke, head of business development MedLab, Festo. Envi- ronmental pollution is a further cause of diseases.
Medical sector a major employer
In order to master future chal- lenges, the German Association of Engineers VDI medical technol- ogy has to be developed to safely ensure a diagnosis at an earlier stage, as well as achieve treat- ment with continuously lower stress for a patient.
These challenges also pose an opportunity for the medical sector, that offers numerous jobs. Germany, for example: manu- facturers of medical technology employ 133,000 staff in around 1,250 companies, counting more than 20 employees, emphasises Manfred Beeres, press of cer of BVMed. Additionally, 11,300 small companies employ nearly a further 81,000 employees, bringing the headcount in Germany’s 210,000 people.
Positive effects for companies
“The exceptionally innovative medtech sector will remain a growth market due to demographic development, progress in medical technology and the dynamics in emerging markets,” forecasts Beeres, BVMed. Experts estimate an annual growth between four and ve percent.
Favourable developments in the eld of high-tech medicine, espe- cially surgical equipment and diagnostics, have had a positive impact on HOERBIGER’s business. The currently ongoing investment
backlog for hospital equipment won’t have an effect, as HOER- BIGER “is not affected as a maker of high-tech products”.
A win-win situation
Good news: high-technology pro- viders will be able to success- fully supply the highly important medical market with high-perfor- mance products – for the bene t of the people. A win-win situation for all stakeholders: even though costs and effort will continue to increase in order to meet regula- tions.
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz 40474 Düsseldorf Gernany
Petra Hartmann-Bresgen, M.A. Ulrike Osahon
Tel.: +49 (0)211 4560 541 Fax: +49 (0)211 4560 87 541
HartmannP@ messe-duesseldorf.de www.messe-duesseldorf.com
ITAtube Journal No3/October 2018
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