Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West, the largest medtech event in North America and organized annually by Informa Markets – Engineering, unveils its educational lineup for the Design. Engineer. Build. Conference. Conference speakers include experts from Medtronic, NXT Biomedical, Canary Medical, Galen Robotics, Edward Life Sciences, Philips, Tech Coast Angels, Stryker, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, AtriCure, and UCLA BioDesign. In addittion, four partners – MedtechWomen, The Association of Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Chemical Angel Network (CAN), and the Society of Plastics Engineers - Medical Plastics Division – will discuss the latest in medtech product development, medical plastics, quality, and regulations during the 9-track conference held over two days.

Taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center April 12-14, 2022, MD&M West is one of five co-located trade brands for the one-stop-shop event branded "IME West," which also includes WestPack, Automation Technology Expo (ATX) West, Design & Manufacturing (D&M) West, and Plastec West.

Mike Guerra, CEO of California Life Sciences (CLS), said of the event: “Coming together at this event will help the medical device community connect through educational sessions and discover new business partnerships on the expo floor, which is mission critical to our industry’s advancement. As medical device technology in the life sciences sector evolves, connecting in person is key to accelerating adoption of new technologies and work processes that will lead to the improved delivery of patient care. We’re proud to partner with MD&M West and look forward to supporting the upcoming event that will help drive the life sciences industry forward.”

Added Adrienne Zepeda, Group Event Director, MD&M West: "Even amid unprecedented challenges, we're continuing to see new life-saving innovations and exciting partnerships arise that are fueling the multi-hundred-billion-dollar industry. We are so proud to announce our conference partners that are slated to take the stage and share valuable insights and arm our attendees with sought-after solutions to improve product speed-to-market, infuse new materials and technologies into devices, and further industry connections and accelerate trade."

Select conference content is described below:

Panel: Innovative Medical Device Development for Dynamic Market Segments

MedtechWomen (Tuesday, April 12, 4:00 p.m.)

New ideas, new scientific discoveries, and new manufacturing technologies drive new products and change how those products are designed and developed. The COVID-19 pandemic placed intense challenges on design and engineering teams, tasking them with rapid product pivots while simultaneously reinventing teamwork via remote access. Meanwhile, the growth of connected and data-driven products is expanding the range of skills and resources needed to produce the average medical device. Join our panel of industry experts who will discuss challenges and opportunities for designing market-leading products through emerging and rapidly evolving applications.

Speakers from Dyad Engineering, UserWise, Materna Medical, Beacon Launch Partners, and Simplexity Product Development.

Keynote: The Science of Predictive Healthcare and the Role of Nano-polymers & Medical Plastics.

SPE's MiniTec (Tuesday, April 12, 8:00 a.m.)

Predictive medicine has its roots in early warning systems and diagnostic early detection. Prognostic devices are a new genre of diagnostic devices that not only detect and diagnose diseases but predict and, in many ways, prevent the onset of diseases. Imagine a point-of-care device that can detect BNP, a cardiac marker that is produced by the heart in very minute quantities before the advent of arrhythmia. Then the doctor can prevent the disease by changing the patient's lifestyle, diet and exercise. The first forays in predictive medicine more than a decade ago has a spawned a new generation of predictive methods and prognostic medical devices. From ctDNA liquid biopsy techniques (that detect cancer at the very early stages and can pinpoint the location of the tumor) and metabolomics biosensors (that prevent stroke through a combination of bio-electronics, data science and AI) to tumor-hunting nanobots and CRISPR-based scissors (that cut out defective genes before the onset of the disease), these methodologies are making expert-level preventive care accessible to the millions of people at-risk. Even in the Covid-19 pandemic, medical-grade plastics have made a significant impact – the most exciting development is the use of medical nano polymers formed into carriers that protect the mRNA-based vaccine from being destroyed by the body’s own defenses before they can do their job! The engine that is driving all of this is Medical Plastics.

Speaker from mFluiDx.

Debate: Maintaining a Validated State for Connected Medical Devices, SaMD & DTx in an Era of Chaotic Innovation

AAMI (Wednesday, April 13, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

From AI/ML to smartphones to cloud computing to web services, MedTech faces a growing imperative to leverage these technologies to support the core functions of a regulated medical device. The medical device manufacturer creating and operating these new technologies have an admirable focus on continuous improvement but often isn't compatible with MedTech's traditional approaches to regulated change management. As engineers, regulators, and scientists, we can no longer ignore this uncomfortable truth. Instead, we need to adapt to a new set of software architectural approaches, best practices, and systems thinking, embracing a more modern approach to device safety and the meaning of the validated state.

Speakers from Philips and Orthogonal.

Keynote: Innovation Requirements: More than Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Angel Network (Wednesday, April 13, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

The three-legged stool of medical device innovation requires great technical capability, of course, but also a deep understanding of the related medicine (anatomy, pathology, procedural knowledge, outcomes, standard of care, clinical trials) and the business of innovation (patents, fundraising, management, strategy). These elements will be highlighted as the story of TAVR development is told; the twists and turns of technology challenges, patents, difficult fundraising, difficult regulators, and tough strategic choices. Join leading industry innovator Stanton Rowe as he discusses:

Speaker from  NXT Biomedical

Diagnostic Product Development – From Concept to Market

Lishan Aklog, MD, Chairman & CEO, PAVmed Inc. (Tuesday, April 12, 4:00 p.m.)

The healthcare system has been enhanced post Covid with a newly formed and expansive marketplace for diagnostic testing that meets the needs of patients, clinical staff, and most importantly, payors. At-home diagnostics is here to stay, but getting an IVD product from concept development to market is filled with many questions and challenges. Join industry expert Dr. Lishan Aklog as he shares both trials and success stories and leaves you with insights into how to avoid problem areas.

Register here to secure a conference pass today to learn about the latest technologies and solutions available on the market from the medtech industry's leading experts.

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Informa Markets' Engineering is the publisher of MD+DI.