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January 2016 • SMT Magazine 39 There's also a biomedical vest that shows heart-related problem spots. The device em- ploys 250 electrodes to detect extra heartbeats and other heart dysfunctions. It aids doctors pinpoint where heart problems are without the need for an invasive treatment. IMI, through its Tustin, California advanced manufacturing engineering center, has devel- oped for a medical OEM a camera pill that takes pictures as it travels through the intestines. Capsule endoscopy helps the doctor evalu- ate the small intestine which cannot be reached by traditional upper endoscopy or by colonos- copy. Through capsule endoscopy, the search for a cause of bleeding from the small intestine becomes an easier and faster task. It may also be useful for detecting polyps, ulcers, and tumors of the small intestine. Medical Care for the Masses One of the concerns of governments as well as private institutions in emerging economies is the provision of high quality and low cost healthcare to a growing population, especially in the rural areas. Medical electronics manu- facturers take the spotlight for addressing this concern through the development of innova- tive medical devices and equipment. Surely there is pricing pressure on the de- vice manufacturers, but this has to be viewed as a driver for innovation and differentiation. Resource-prudent innovations could be funded by government or NGO grants or by public-pri- vate partnerships. The governments of emerg- ing economies are also expected to provide in- centives and subsidies to device manufacturers. Let's take a look at the case of India where heart disease is a leading cause of death. Acces- sibility and affordability of ECG testing has re- mained a challenge for many of its people. To overcome this challenge, GE Healthcare devel- oped MAC 400 and MAC i—conceptualized, de- signed, and manufactured in India, and priced at a third of an imported ECG system. GE Healthcare customized the product for better adoption in the Indian market. They cre- ated lightweight portable devices for use in re- mote areas. To deal with power outages, these devices are battery-operated. With the problem of shortage of healthcare professionals in India, GE Healthcare made these devices easy to op- erate. These innovations have been adopted in various countries across the world, including the U.S. I hope EMS providers can work with OEMs like GE Healthcare to bring medical solutions to the masses, alleviating the dismal healthcare situation in many emerging economies. There's also no stopping the EMS providers from adopt- ing an innovative business model that will allow them to produce and sell their own products and deliver high-reliability medical solutions within the parameters of sustainability. SMT MEDICaL EMS: OPPOrTunITIES aBOunD Frederick Blancas is a senior division manager at integrated Micro-electronics inc. (iMi). fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in tak- ing a crucial step on the way to the production of small, light-weight and high capacity sensors suitable for use in applications such as wearable devices. The fraunhofer institute for organic elec- tronics, electron beam and plasma Technology (fep) has considerably advanced this development by providing metallized film substrates, while the Fraunhofer institute for Silicon Technology (iSiT) developed a flexible electrochemical sensor. The sensor measures 8x10mm² and contains an array of electrodes for biological immunological tests. The sensor's thickness is only approximately one tenth of a millimeter as it was produced en - tirely on a polymer film that had previously been coated at the fraunhofer fep. The fundamental principle for the production of flexible sensors is thin layers in the submicrometer range. Fraunhofer Develops Flexible Biosensors on Metallized Film Substrates FEATurE