Five Upcoming Innovations in the Medical Equipment Industry
The medical equipment industry is full of innovation. From experienced doctors to inspired post-doctoral candidates collaborating with academics, this industry is full of healthcare providers and inventors looking to make the population healthier.
Healthcare has come a long way since simple antibiotics. Today, surgery is assisted by carefully calculated chemical compounds and robotic assistants. In labs across the country, organs and genetic codes are being duplicated and experimented with.
Medical Equipment Repair Network can connect you and your practice to an accredited professional to repair and recalibrate the medical equipment your practice or hospital has now. However, we are excited about how these current devices will evolve and be supported by the bountiful innovation and entrepreneurship happening every day in the medical equipment industry.
Robotics
Surgery takes years to train for, and sometimes hours to complete. Next time you go under anesthesia, a robotic assistant may be helping out your surgeon.
Robotics can aid in surgery, especially in areas where the slightest tremor or mistake of a human hand could be catastrophic. From 2020 onward, robotic surgery, invasive or otherwise, is going to see a huge boom.
These machines will improve healthcare quality for patients and potentially allow for more a greater volume of patients to be seen.
3D Printing
Huge sources of stress in the healthcare industry stem from transplant lists. Due to a limited supply of organs, complex compatibility problems, and the overarching question of ‘who deserves care the most?’, the ability to 3D print biologically identical organs will revolutionize healthcare. That is what 3D printing offers.
While 3D printing can create more comfortable, form-fitted prosthetics, it has huge potential in organ-printing technology. Many startups have succeeded in re-creating these precious structures, and practitioners are optimistic that these artificial organs will soon become cheap, readily-available, and genetic matches to their intended hosts.
3D printers are expected to be staple hospital technologies in the future, and their applications are nearly limitless.
Wearables
Wearable medical technology has infiltrated public life seamlessly. From Apple Watches that monitor heart-rate, to portable insulin pumps and blood sugar monitors, wearables have the potential to make healthcare less invasive.
This medical innovation has taken up space in the public and medical fields. For the public, these devices offer the potential to individuals to monitor their own health data and detect abnormalities early. For the medical field, this may allow certain patients more mobility within the hospital or the comforts of their own home.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage in almost every industry. From Silicon Valley to lackadaisical web portals, AI is being used by entrepreneurs, government facilities, and your typical internet denizen.
AI has huge potential in healthcare going forward. Much of healthcare is bogged down by paperwork and battles with insurance payers. The vast amount of administration has led to less time spent on the patient themselves. AI is expected to take the burden off of healthcare providers in the future, and allow for more one-on-one interaction.
AI also has the potential to detect and manage when equipment needs to be repaired or recalibrated. It also may create an industry standard of ‘smart’ hospitals, where various types of medical equipment can ‘talk’ to each other and provide healthcare providers with a better idea of their patients’ conditions.
Remote Diagnostics
Remote diagnostics, or telecare, will be very influential as the 21st century progresses. This is a blanket phrase for various innovations in the healthcare industry. This can mean anything from digital appointments with a doctor to mobile clinics coming directly to your location. As technology improves, many predict that patients will better be able to communicate with their healthcare providers over apps and internet services.
This innovation has huge implications for the medical device industry. Firstly, this means that cybersecurity will be more important in the future, and accredited professionals who know how to perform cyber maintenance on equipment will be necessary. Secondly, the market for medical equipment and medical repair may increase as mobile clinics and patients receiving home care purchase their own medical equipment.