Implantable medical devices are placed inside or over the body surface for replacing the missing biological structure. These are further used to provide support to the biological structure. Some implantable devices are constructed out of metal, plastic ceramic or other materials while some are made from skin, bones and other body tissues. The devices can be placed permanently or temporarily and help in clinical disorders monitoring and treatment.
Increasing effects of cardiovascular disease, technological developments, the increasing acceptance of medical implants, improved health infrastructure, and the growth of geriatrics have been the key driving factors for growth on the market. An increase in the proportion of the elderly population is linked to the increase in disease prevalence. The need for new treatments, implantable medical devices and other medical procedures would increase because of the ill health of the older population. Millions of patients improve their quality of life each year through surgery with implanted medical devices.
Driving Factors- In Detail
Implants are currently used for a range of applications including orthopaedics, pacemakers, cardiovascular stents, defibrillators, neural prosthetics or medication delivery systems in different parts of the body. Synchronized with the increased life span in today’s time, the occurrence of age-borne diseases has also increased. Hence, the need for implants, their long-term pharmaceutical usage, and the need for prolonging the life span of the current techniques has escalated significantly. Joint disorders stands among one of the factors responsible for the changing needs across the medical treatment.
Current estimates determine that nearly 90% of the population over 40 years of age are suffering from degenerative joint disease. In the past decade, the number of total hip replacements operation was in millions representing a 33% augment from the total operations conducted in the past. Cardiovascular diseases are another key contributing factor. Over the last two decades, coronary stents have been widely adopted in angioplasty procedures. In recent years, the number of implanted drug-eluting stents solely exceeded two million. Rare yet troublesome, sub-acute thrombosis, is a complication that can’t be eliminated by modern stent deployment approaches and antiplatelet agents. However, to eradicate any possible shortcomings, drug-eluting stents present a solution to the above problems.
Metal and Ceramic Materials for Implantable Medical Devices
Metals are the most commonly used for implants that carry the load as a material class. This includes simple wires and tubes, fixing plates for fractures and total joint prostheses for hips, knees, shoulders, ankles and so on. Metal implants are not only used in orthopaedics, but also as dentures and cardiovascular surgery. While many metals and alloys can be used in medical devices, stainless steel, cobalt-based alloys, pure titanium, titanium alloys and a number of other metals are witnessing large scale adoption.
The ceramic material used in load-bearing applications is high-purity alumina. It is used in total hip prosthesis as a bearing surface. The material is highly biocompatible and resistant to hardness, fractures, and high strength. Since new bone forms against this layer, it forms a very strong bond that can exceed the bone’s mechanical integrity.
Cardiovascular Implants
Cardiovascular implants have a promising potential to reduce the total cost of therapies for heart disease, while perpetually contributing to improved quality of life. A focus on the development of new generations of patient care products, which reduces deaths and improves patient outcomes, has resulted in a feasible healthcare environment. A wide range of conditions affecting both the heart and blood vessels are covered by cardiovascular disease. Polymer- coated cardiovascular implants and polymers are an essential component of modern medicine and will become increasingly important for the society of age related morbidity as a result of demographic changes.
Orthopaedic Implants
The largest implantable device segment of market value is orthopaedic implants. Increased prevalence of musculoskeletal degenerative disorders and changes in lifestyle will also reflect an increased risk to people pertaining to sports and exercise injuries. At the same time, as products become longer-lasting and durable, the demand for new operations rather than replacements will grow more and more from an enlarged patient base. The segment will, however, benefit from a strong base of orthopaedic implant insurance approvals as well as a stable and well-funded medical provision system and product designs which enable less invasive surgeries.
To sum up…
Many implantable medical devices, such as the pacemaker, cochlear implant, and blood pressure sensors, are being developed and improved with explosive advances in science and technology. The upcoming society with super-age conditions, which will result in more consumers for the devices, will continue with this progress in implantable medical devices. The global consumption of medical devices is boosted by numerous factors. Over the next few years, the key developmental factors are expected to arise as highly impactful drivers of the global implantable medical devices.
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