1. Artificial intelligence is going to get much bigger
Hands-down, the most surprising and exciting thing I learned was that regulatory agencies are now in the early stages of developing frameworks to control the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical devices. I think that if regulatory agencies across multiple safety-critical industries like robotics, automatic, and medical devices, work together, they can develop the frameworks faster and speed up the adoption of AI in these industries.
2. Scientists and researchers are very passionate about their work
Heading into MedTech Summit US, I was expecting to learn a lot about new legislation and how to bring medical devices into compliance. I thought I’d gain a better understanding of the challenges that the industry is facing with the upcoming EU MDR legislation - and I did. However, what I didn’t expect was the passion and positive energy of the conference speakers when discussing their topics. It was inspiring!
3. Collaboration and community are at the forefront
Two significant things stood out for me. One - it was amazing to meet our customers, attend their talks, and get to hear first-hand about how DistillerSR helps them help their patients. And two - as a first-time attendee, I was really pleased to see the degree of collaboration between speakers and contributors with competing commercial interests working together to benefit medical device users.
4. Don't be afraid to get out there
Bring your appetite! Both literally and figuratively! The food at the conference was terrific, but it was also important to go into the conference hungry for knowledge. Get there early and network with speakers and attendees at breakfast. People are friendly and eager to share what they’re working on and can offer solutions to your challenges. I also recommend visiting all the sponsor’s booths to grab the latest swag and find out what’s new!
5. Next year, it's only getting bigger
At this year's summit, it was announced that for 2020, the conference would be combined with Biocompatibility for Medical Devices US. The new conference is going to be bigger than this year's MedTech Summit US and will be held in Philadelphia. It will also be interesting to attend, since it's taking place after the May 2020 EU MDR deadline, so there should be a ton of exciting speakers and new ideas presented. Definitely bring comfortable shoes to next year's show, it's going to be big!
Did you miss us at MedTech Summit US? Request a free demo to see the new DistillerSR updates and discover how it is helping medical device regulatory and safety pros manage their workload every day!
