From component to medical device

Modern medical technology often comes across to users as a finished high-tech product – from minimally invasive instruments to implants. But long before the solutions are presented at MEDICA, their development begins with specialized suppliers. This is exactly where COMPAMED comes in. It showcases technologies, materials, and components for medical technology that will later be used in medical products. We will show you how closely the two trade fairs are connected and how innovation is created along the entire medtech value chain using the following two examples from sensor technology and materials development.

In medical technology, precision often determines the success of a treatment. Sensors and sensor types play a central role in this, as they provide the data used to control and monitor medical devices.

One example are the nanosensors for temperature and heat measurement from digid GmbH, which were presented at COMPAMED 2025. These sensor solutions enable particularly accurate and rapid detection of temperature changes—an important prerequisite for applications in minimally invasive surgery or thermal treatment procedures.

Precise temperature control is crucial, especially for minimally invasive instruments such as those presented at MEDICA. It ensures that tissue can be treated in a targeted manner without damaging surrounding structures.

In addition to electronic components, material innovations also play a key role in medical technology. Biocompatible materials that can remain in the body permanently without triggering unwanted reactions are in particularly high demand.

One example is the high-performance polymer VESTAKEEP® PEEK from Evonik Industries, which was presented at COMPAMED 2025 as a biomaterial for medical applications. The plastic can be used for implants and offers several advantages over traditional metal solutions.

In practice, the material is used in surgical implants such as screws, as shown at MEDICA. Material development in the supplier industry thus forms the basis for durable and compatible implant solutions.

Whether it's sensor technology in medical engineering or biocompatible materials for implants, many innovations are already emerging at the component level. Suppliers are developing technologies that are later integrated into medical instruments, systems, or implants by device manufacturers.

This is precisely where the interaction between COMPAMED and MEDICA becomes apparent: While COMPAMED serves as a platform for supplier technologies, materials, and production solutions, MEDICA shows how these innovations are translated into specific medical applications.

Together, both events make it clear that progress in medical technology rarely occurs at a single point but rather through the interaction of many specialists along the entire medtech value chain.