Benchmark was excited to exhibit at MD&M West 2021, August 10-12, 2021, in Anaheim, California, our first in-person event since the onset of the pandemic. Cobranded with four other leading conferences in the manufacturing and engineering space, the “Design. Engineer. Build” conference theme featured thousands of individuals and companies involved in manufacturing medical devices.
New Trends in Wearables and Home Health
The MD&M West panel sessions illuminated topics that are top of mind for the medical industry. The ‘Design Trends in Wearables, Home Health, & Drug Delivery products’ panel discussed the point of care shift towards home-based application, pushing a continuing trend of ‘hybridizing’ clinical-grade medical devices with consumer technology.
The “Connected Devices and Ecosystem of Care” panel discussed connectivity architectures as they relate to the medical device space. A complete track with seven sessions was dedicated entirely to Global & FDA regulations, covering topics like the FDA digital health center for excellence, EU MDR and IVDR, UKCA and UKNI, and more.
Overall, the further embrace of smaller, more lightweight device footprints and innovative connectivity solutions is advancing organizations' concerns about the products' reliability. For example, companies must extend beyond their core competencies to make strategic sourcing decisions about connectivity and cloud solutions, single-use devices, or microelectronics.
Organizations continue to weigh the cost and risk of outsourcing the production of medical devices against the benefits of a faster time-to-market and quicker access to engineering expertise in those solution areas. It was easy to see the result of these trends with more attention than ever placed on the adaptation of medical device business models to meet the needs of more technologically savvy medical organizations. Many medical organizations are considering using connected devices to reinforce revenue streams. Consumers were happy to stop by booths hosting recognizable connected products and proclaim their status as early adopters of the devices.
Celebrating Over 40 Years of Medical Technologies
We showcased the latest medical device innovations in our booth, featuring the partners we work with to bring these disruptive technologies to market with our engineering and manufacturing expertise. Our medical technology expertise expands across a broad spectrum of medical applications, including connected medical, energy delivery, fluid management, handheld devices, medical robotics, optical and radiological imaging.
Some of the amazing products on display included the first and only fully mobile wearable breast pump, the first of its kind at home “belly band” pregnancy monitor, an award-winning infant smart sock monitoring device, and a non-production model of DnaNudge’s lab-free COVID-19 testing device.
Each of our customers’ products has a unique story, but they share many common elements. Each organization benefits from Benchmark’s global footprint of sites providing an easy transition from close-to-home prototyping to full-scale production in lower-cost regions. Our manufacturing sites hold critical certifications, registrations, and a quality management system built with FDA regulation in mind, setting a standard for engineering and manufacturing service firm compliance. Customers also benefit from Benchmark’s 40+ year history in medical devices, ensuring we can assist companies entering brand new markets or disrupting traditional ones.
The Value of Face-to-Face Networking
Benchmark’s extensive expertise in medical technology made our booth the center of conversation for companies of all sizes looking for a partner to bring their products to market. Our conversations covered various topics, including how our global footprint can expand the addressable market of existing devices, advanced microelectronics applications for radical single-use form factors, and the transition of R&D products through a design for manufacturing (DFM) process to commercial production.
Being back on the road and meeting with customers and suppliers was a pleasure, and we look forward to ongoing opportunities to do so. While in-person shows are slowly coming back, you can always connect with us to discover the Benchmark difference.
