COVID-19 drastically disrupted the practice and delivery of healthcare, firmly rooting telehealth and other forms of digital health into the patient care continuum. And although the healthcare industry had already been adopting constant connectivity pre-pandemic through wearables and EHR systems, the global health crisis further propelled the ongoing digital transformation.

However, heightened attention and expectations surrounding a global integrated services market that delivers real-time patient care opens medical device manufacturers to a suite of new challenges. These range from the development of secure and HIPPA-compliant products to the design of user-friendly systems that augment performance and are scalable on an international stage.

To illuminate the critical need for manufacturers to enhance the usability of connected medical devices and mitigate user error, Informa Markets – Engineering, the organizers of the industry-leading Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) and BIOMEDevice events and publisher of MD+DI, will present MD&M BIOMEDigital, a new virtual conference and exhibition for medical device engineers and manufacturers driving progress and innovation in medtech and biotechnology.

Taking place April 6 and 7, the virtual event will provide a unique meeting opportunity for the global community featuring a virtual expo floor with more than 100 companies driving frontline product innovation. The conference will include a robust schedule offering technical sessions curated around today’s challenges, from developing diagnostic products to sensor miniaturization.  

Register here and access exhibitor profiles, exclusive networking opportunities, and technical sessions.

I enjoyed speaking with Peter Winston, founder and CEO at Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS), a company combining user experience design and world-class software development to create transformative products for a connected world. ICS will be exhibiting at MD&M BIOMEDigital, and Winston shared the importance of the upcoming event and what attendees can look forward to learning at the company’s virtual booth.

Technology plays an increasingly prominent role in the healthcare and life sciences ecosystem, from touchscreen technology in an ER to controlling lifesaving connected devices. Can you speak to the future of accelerating the adoption of technology in this highly regulated sector?

Winston: Analysts predict the global Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) will reach a valuation of $158 billion in 2022, up from $41 billion in 2017. ICS sees this acceleration firsthand with the increased demand for our services. This adoption drives unprecedented innovation and is delivering new capabilities and efficiencies that translate into better patient outcomes. But with innovation comes new challenges. There is a growing expectation that modern medical devices are usable in all the ways consumers have become used to: wireless/wired connectivity, cloud usage, automatic software updates, all contained within a beautiful and seamless user experience. Developing these groundbreaking devices has become far more complex. While incorporating new tech is always a challenge, doing so in a connected medical device with the potential for cybersecurity vulnerabilities adds a new wrinkle. Any regulated medical device going through the approvals process for developed markets has a high bar to clear on ensuring cybersecurity safety.

ICS expertly balances advanced technology and safety in the healthcare and life sciences sector by introducing forward-leaning technology in developing safety-critical medical devices. Can you speak to this technology and ICS’ portfolio of products that are transforming patient care?

Winston: The accelerating adoption of connectivity and digitalization in the healthcare sector is bringing extraordinary innovation into devices. While developing these devices has become far more complex, it has also raised the bar and opened new possibilities for groundbreaking devices. Building on its history as a leader in UX design and software development for embedded devices, ICS established a dedicated medical device practice, adding talent with critical competencies and new service offerings in usability design, cybersecurity, AI and robotics, cloud services, and regulatory compliance. ICS’ team of UX and visual designers and software engineers use ISO 13485-compliant processes for full-lifecycle product development leading to a 510(k) submission.

As a prominent exhibitor at the all-new virtual event MD&M BIOMEDigital, can you share what products and services attendees can look forward to engaging with at your booth? 

Winston: ICS will discuss our service offerings around medical device design and software development, including usability design, cybersecurity, AI and robotics, cloud services, and regulatory compliance. We will also showcase our low-code tools that quickly convert a UX prototype to a working product and offer our complimentary technical assessment program.

What excites you most about connecting with your community at the upcoming virtual event?

Winston: We’re looking forward to the opportunity to engage with the best and brightest in the medtech industry at this vital industry gathering that brings together the two largest North American medical events. We’re also eager to share with a broad audience the latest developments at ICS and insight from our medtech and UX design experts and hear from colleagues throughout the medtech industry.

To schedule a meeting with ICS at MD&M BIOMEDigital, please register for the event here and reach out to Peter Winston, founder and CEO of ICS at [email protected].