Innovation/Technology

The corona pandemic with the new virus COVID-19 is turning our lives upside down and we are all confronted with a new and completely unexpected situation. At the moment we are increasingly asked by our customers: can you help with corona diagnostics with your micropump? That would be possible. Modern biotechnology needs microstructure technology.

Als regionales Innovationsnetz Optische Technologien sorgt Optence e.V. seit 19 Jahren für die Vernetzung von Industrie und Forschung und setzt sich für die Belange und Interessen seiner 110 Mitglieder ein. IVAM hat mit Geschäftsführerin Daniela Reuter über wirtschaftliche Potenziale optischer Technologien, Deutschlands Rolle im internationalen Markt, Start-up-Kultur und den 60. Geburtstag des Lasers gesprochen.

Cleanliness is key to many industries and applications, for example optics, industrial parts, surgical parts, electronics and others. Ultrasonic cleaning has been very widespread in many of these applications with fine structures. I am going to look at the challenges in cleaning finest micro-structures today and try to compare megasound to ultrasound in this context.

Microtechnology is one key enabler to get a grip of the Corona crisis: It enables medical devices to be more smart and compact and is qualified to make diagnostic methods better, more precise and much faster as before. Furthermore it opens up the possibility of transforming existing processes, components and systems at lightning speed so that completely new fields of application can be created in the fight against the virus.

Können Sie sich noch an die Medizintechnik der 1970er Jahre erinnern? Die Computertechnologie hat seitdem einiges möglich gemacht: In den letzten Jahrzehnten konnte die Behandlung von Krankheiten durch immer bessere technologische Lösungen für Diagnose und Therapie massiv vorangetrieben werden.

Optical components play a particularly important role in the field of diagnostic imaging technologies, like X-ray, ultrasound examinations, computer tomography or endoscopy but also in the quality assurance of manufacturing processes. High-quality optics are essential, not least in the field of laser technology. Optical components, systems and assemblies form a focal point in the field of medical technology components, which will be on display at COMPAMED.

The miniaturization of electronics and the resulting constant reduction in production costs has been a major driver of innovation in recent decades in a large number of industries - medical technology is no exception. Today, high-quality and cost-effective microelectronics enable numerous convenient applications for patients that were unthinkable years ago - like wearable solutions.

Sensor technology is one of the key technologies when it comes to making conventional medical devices or production processes in the manufacture of medical products smarter and more controllable. Sensors make it possible to digitize diagnostic, control or therapy devices and thus also contribute to making these applications "wearable".

Microfluidics plays an increasingly important role in industry and in applications for everyday life. The medical technology and healthcare markets are particularly in focus. Mobile diagnostic and therapeutic devices are not possible without microfluidic components that process small amounts of liquids. At COMPAMED 2019, microfluidics is is again a special trend topic in our joint area as well as at the experts forum.

In Germany there is a famous fairy tale about the “Heinzelmännchen of Cologne”. These house-gnomes worked at night and all the dull work was done next morning. We get a similar promise with artificial intelligence (AI). Forget about time-consuming search for new customers on the web. Let the AI do the job overnight, just collect the results and your business is running.