Originally Published EMDM September 2001
MEDTEC Ireland: Sourcing on the Emerald Isle
Benjamin Lichtman
With a strong economy and a highly skilled labour force, Ireland has become a popular location for medical manufacturers. More than 80 companies, including 13 of the world’s top 20 device firms, have significant operations in Ireland, making medical products one of the country’s largest industry sectors, with more than 16,000 employees.
Not only does Ireland boast a healthy presence of medical OEMs, but it also has a strong base of specialized suppliers to support those companies. So it should come as no surprise that the MEDTEC Ireland Regional Conference and Tabletop Exposition will debut in the city of Galway on 19–20 September. The highlight of the event is a two-day conference dedicated to the latest issues facing manufacturers of medical devices. Speakers will address topics of current interest, including product design, biocompatibility, packaging, plastics processing, and quality systems. Previews of select conference sessions are provided below and on the following pages. Complete conference schedule.
Before and after
the conference sessions, more than 90 of the world’s leading medical suppliers
will exhibit their products and services at an adjacent tabletop exposition.
Moulding, packaging, electronics, contract manufacturing, and regulatory services
will be among the industry areas represented, to name just a few.
Mary Harney, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, will be the guest of honour
when leaders from Ireland’s medical device industry gather for an invitation-only
Directors Panel during the inaugural conference. The decision makers will participate
in a roundtable discussion to address the key issues facing medical manufacturers
in Ireland. The panel will be chaired by Norbert Sparrow, group editor of European
Medical Device Manufacturer and Medical Product Manufacturing News.
Business aside, visitors will find September a delightful month to meet in Galway. As Irish luck would have it, MEDTEC Ireland coincides neatly with the opening of oyster season. In fact, the event is scheduled between two renowned local festivals, the Galway International Oyster Festival and the nearby Clarenbridge Oyster Festival. Some visitors may wish to extend their stays to take in the festivities, which include the World Oyster Opening Championship, a gala ball, a parade of flags, and numerous oyster tastings, to be sure.
MEDTEC Ireland 2001 is organized by Canon Communications LLC and sponsored by European Medical Device Manufacturer and MedSource Technologies (Minneapolis, MN, USA). The event will take place at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway on 19–20 September. For more information, contact MEDTEC Ireland at The Schoolhouse, Hurlingham & Chelsea School, Peterborough Rd., London SW6 3ED, UK; phone: +44 20 73710637; fax: +44 20 73717657; e-mail: medtecireland@aol.com; website: http://www.medtecireland.com.
Session Highlights Lasers
for Joining Solutions
New medical applications are making more stringent demands on joining technologies, says Richard Sherlock, senior research scientist at the National Centre for Laser Applications (Galway, Ireland). “Components are getting smaller, while joint performance is being asked to increase,” he observes.
Titled “Laser Techniques Applied to Joining Technologies,” Sherlock’s presentation at MEDTEC Ireland will address the laser welding of metals, alloys, and plastics. It will also touch on process monitoring, as well as cutting-edge applications for lasers in the medical industry.
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Richard
Sherlock works with an industrial YAG laser at the National Centre for
Laser Applications in Galway, Ireland.
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Sherlock explains that given the prevalence of lasers in the medical sector and its location in Galway, the centre enjoys relationships with several medical industry clients. Founded in 1989 to support the electronics industry, the centre now receives 75% of its industrial funding from the healthcare product industry. “Medical companies in Ireland are investing quite a bit in R&D,” he notes.
At MEDTEC Ireland, Sherlock’s presentation will include a review of currently available laser technologies that can be used to weld metals or polymers. Case studies presented at the conference will discuss typical medical welding applications such as small-tube welding that made use of novel techniques. One new area Sherlock plans to address is the use of lasers for surface treatment. “This is akin to plasma treatment,” he says, “but lasers offer the advantages of treating small areas, not requiring a vacuum for adhesive bonding, and enhanced biocompatibility.”
“For some time now, lasers have been able to microweld without causing damage to components,” says Sherlock. He notes that companies are now looking for complete automated solutions. “Manufacturers seek to reduce costs, and automation addresses that,” he explains. “OEMs will choose the joining technology that enables labour cost reductions.”
An automated system would include process control and monitoring equipment as well as a laser. “With this approach, every product looks different,” says Sherlock, adding, “the future of lasers is in not one machine, but rather in a variety of niche solutions.”
With the conference only days away, Sherlock says he’s looking forward to MEDTEC Ireland. “You can actually get feedback from industry, which is good. Then you take it away, digest it, and refocus.”
Intelligent Materials Examined
Seamus Higson, senior lecturer in biomedical materials at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Science and Technology, will give a presentation at MEDTEC Ireland titled “Some Novel Directions for Biomedical Materials in the New Century.”
Higson’s research at the University of Manchester focusses on chemical and biological sensors. “Technically, I’m a bioelectrochemist,” he says. Higson sees this as an emerging area in medical technology. “We all run bioelectrochemistry in our bodies, for example in cellular respiration,” he says. Referring to the trend toward the production of “intelligent materials,” Higson comments, “We’re trying to engineer materials to work in greater harmony with the body.”
“It’s very poorly understood at the moment, but what’s clear is that some polymers can minimize blood clotting,” says Higson. “And while there is no such thing as a perfectly biocompatible polymer, an intelligent material could interrupt protein deposition, which triggers clotting, or other biological reactions that [would be] undesirable in a given medical context.”
According to Higson, our understanding of biomaterials has changed dramatically in the past few years. “We’re no longer interested in simply getting rid of a material’s detrimental effects,” he says. “Rather, we’re working hand in hand with the body’s response.” He cites the example of tissue engineering, where human cells can be cultivated on synthetic scaffolding.
Higson suggests that future projects in biomaterials will focus on the development of DNA-based sensors that will incorporate our knowledge of the human genome, as well as the creation of artificial organs.
At the MEDTEC Ireland conference, Higson plans to use his young company, Microarray Ltd. (Manchester, UK), as a case study for manufacturers planning to cooperate with academic institutions. The company has pioneered an ultrasonic technique for the economical production of microelectrode arrays that can give accurate readings of concentrations in a variety of applications. He expects that the microelectrodes will find applications in the analysis of urine samples and as components in sensors entering blood vessels.
The Four M’s of Moulding
In her presentation at MEDTEC Ireland, Breda McCollum, moulding process engineering manager at Donegal HealthCare Ltd. (DHC; Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland), plans to address the application of problem-solving techniques to improve moulding processes while reducing costs. “I will discuss what we call the four M’s,” says McCollum, citing “the mould, the machine, the material, and the manpower.”
Other areas of focus in the presentation will include effectively partnering with customers to maximize the manufacturability of a product; breaking down a polymer process into simple, recognizable ingredients; and analyzing data to troubleshoot moulding problems. Commenting on the importance of the latter, McCollum notes, “the monitoring of process variables in injection moulding is a key element in both assuring the quality of a product and reducing the cost of production.”
“We are confident
in taking on new projects, and in challenging our customers and our suppliers
with innovative approaches,” says McCollum. She adds that the company is
working on the moulding of more-complex and challenging devices, pointing out
that DHC was a key supplier to Fresenius Kabi (Uppsala, Sweden) in the manufacture
of the company’s innovative Kabiven multichamber parenteral nutrition packaging
system. The product—which was a gold winner in the 2001 Medical Design
Excellence Awards—was developed to meet hospitals’ need for more-convenient,
less-time-consuming methods for
administering parenteral nutrition.
What’s on the horizon in moulding? DHC is expanding on its two-material moulding capabilities by incorporating a combination of engineering thermoplastics into a complex new device. The company is also working on introducing silicone injection moulding capabilities.
MEDTEC NEWS
Metal Fabricator
Establishes New Division in Galway
In a further recognition
of the Galway region’s strong presence in the European medical sector,
Star Guide Corp. (Arvada, CO, USA) has established a manufacturing and R&D
facility in Oranmore, Co. Galway. The facility, which will serve as the headquarters
of the new Star Guide–Europe division, has been in operation since January.
An official grand opening ceremony was held on 18 June.
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Star Guide supplies medical manufacturers with precision wire components for minimally invasive devices. The Galway facility is specialized in the interventional vascular and electrophysiology market segments. The company offers extensive R&D and prototyping services with rapid response to assist customers in reducing product development cycle times. Fabrication capabilities include wire straightening, grinding, coil winding, wire forming, coating, device subassembly, and surface modification and cleaning.
For more information, contact Star Guide– Europe, Unit 5, Westlink Park, Oranmore, Co. Galway, Ireland; phone: +353 91 795118; fax: +353 91 795119; e-mail: tech@uticorporation.com; website:http://www.uticorporation.com.
Copyright ©2001 European Medical Device Manufacturer
