Electronics Production |
Microchip forms Medical Products Group
Microchip Technology Inc. announced the formation of the Medical Products Group (MPG) to address the emerging challenges of the medical electronics market through close partnerships with medical device makers.
Many in the medical market have already realized the benefits of using Microchip's semiconductors, including small package sizes, low power consumption through nanoWatt Technology, and the ability to easily add connectivity to their products through on-chip communications peripherals, such as Ethernet, USB, the ZigBee™ wireless networking protocol, the IrDA® infrared protocol and Controller Area Networking (CAN).
According to the FDA, aging baby boomers are driving a “consumerization" of therapeutic and diagnostic medical devices, as more medical care is being done in the home. This trend is fueling the development of smarter and easier-to-use consumer medical devices—the largest portion of the $100 billion medical device market, which is growing at an annual rate of 15%, overall.
“With the creation of the Medical Products Group, we are bringing Microchip's unique advantages to a market that is large and growing," said Dan Termer, vice president of Microchip's Vertical Markets Group. “Advances in semiconductors are enabling unprecedented innovation in medical devices, and Microchip is playing a vital role in enabling this trend."
Microchip's semiconductors are designed to be horizontal and general purpose, enabling them to address a wide range of applications. Specific medical application examples include: Implanted Devices (cardiac rhythm management, neural stimulation, drug delivery, bariatric therapy); Portable Devices (diagnostic imaging, oxygen therapy, patient monitoring); Home-Use Devices (vital-sign monitoring, disease management, rehabilitation, compliance monitoring, medical information terminals); Security (authentication of consumables, data confidentiality).
