Medical device innovation doesn’t just come from small, single-product startups – contract manufacturers are increasingly a part of developing truly disruptive medtech.
Chris Newmarker, Managing Editor

[Image from Unsplash.]
Whether it was teams of people at IBM or Microsoft or Apple, the digital revolution was the result of the efforts of many people, Isaacson wrote.
The same thing can be said about medical device innovation, too. Medtech advances are often the result of collaboration, and contract manufacturers are increasingly being brought into the fold to contribute.
Here are 7 recent innovations out of medtech contract manufacturers that have the potential to truly benefit the industry.
Next>>
Senior editor Heather Thompson contributed to this story.
[Want to stay more on top of MDO content? Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter.]
Most of the innovations shown look like good advances. BUT the oxygen feed system shown in #7 is far more obvious than the devices available here for at least the past 20 years. So unless it offers a real benefit beyond what has existed for many years, what it provides is “not much.”
Now as to the places where innovation is done, what I have observed is that innovation happens where ever it is not discouraged very much. Some companies work diligently to prevent any innovation anywhere except in their R&D departments, while some, such as 3M and a few others, seek to reward and encourage all their employees to innovate. And some companies, while wanting and needing innovation, have embraced cultures that press deliberately at preventing everything that assists creativity.
Thanks for the insights William. It truly is amazing—the number of ways a company can kill innovation.
Also, anything else we should have included in this list?