Microtechnologies in medicine: An overview

Microsystems technology (MST) has become a significant enabler of novel medical devices and implants over the last years. Typical examples are MST units in cardiac rhythm management devices or in hearing implants. A classification of medical MST applications can be made according to their relationship with the anatomy that is based on the kind and duration of interaction with the human body: Class 1: Extra‐corporeal devices such as telemetric health monitoring systems or point of care testing systems. Class 2: Intra‐corporeal devices such as intelligent surgical instruments. Class 3: Temporarily incorporated or ingested devices, such as telemetric endoscopes. Class 4: Long‐term implantable devices such as telemetric implants. Medical applications of MST are growing at double‐digit compounded growth rates, leading to a forecasted global market volume of over USD 1 billion in 2006 or 2007, making MST devices a relevant segment of the medical technology market. The clinical foundation for promoting the use o...