What will be the most innovative medical devices in 2023?
The world is a very different place from what it was pre-Covid. But even before the pandemic took its course, the medical industry was preparing for huge strides. The exciting news is that several of these strides will take form in 2023. This is especially so in the medical device sector, where countries like the UK plan to level up the medical device regimen to support safe innovation and easy access to new products.

Starting in 2023, the medical device industry is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4.2%. By 2028 its worth is estimated to be 13280 million USD. This is a significant expansion considering the sector’s current worth is 9902.6 million USD.

With a thriving medical device industry coupled with revolutionised technology, we should expect nothing less than notable new medical devices set to change patient outcomes globally.

Let’s look at some of the upcoming innovations.

1. Wearable devices
Wearable devices aren’t new, but they’ll be increasingly used in 2023. They’ll also feature more advanced technologies, such as processors that deliver in-device analytics. This means that data will no longer need to be sent to the cloud for collection, analysis, and feedback. Instead, wearers will be provided with faster outputs to warn and protect against potentially life-threatening conditions in real-time.

One such exciting medical device entering the market is the pain-controlling wearable developed by start-up company Gate Science. The device has been dutifully named Relay and provides health professionals and patients with an alternative to post-surgery pain-killing narcotics.


2. 5G technology
The new year will see more medical device manufacturers leveraging 5G technology. This is because it’s the key to incorporating higher-speed communication between medical devices and health infrastructures. Essentially, data will be collected and processed faster than before.

3. 3D-printed devices
Engineers are working hard to advance 3D device printing. Injection Continuous Liquid Interface Production, or iCLIP, exemplifies this. This new technology accelerates printing speeds to 5- to 10-fold over current methods and can pattern a single heterogeneous object with different resins in all Cartesian coordinates.

Using this enhanced speed and performance, more patient-specific and cost-efficient production of medical devices will be supported. Devices set to be recognised in the 2023 market include improved 3D-printed silicone stents, anatomical devices, implants, and orthotics, among others.

4. Minimally invasive devices
The introduction of new minimally invasive devices will tackle the challenge of invasive surgery, curbing infection risks, large scars, and slow recovery rates. More discrete devices will allow surgeons to make smaller incisions across procedures such as endoscopies and laparoscopies. Simultaneously, these devices will be advanced to integrate miniature sensors that provide feedback to physicians – haptic vibrations are an example.