Introduction to Industry 4.0
The future of businesses and processes is Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 fundamentally changes the way in which businesses will be run – if not now, in the very near future. The shift from traditional manufacturing to Industry 4.0 will be enabled by a set of technologies that include autonomous robots, simulation technology, system integration, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, 3D printing, augmented reality (AR) and Big Data. Essentially the fusion of digitalization with traditional industrial processes, Industry 4.0 results in intelligent value chains and product lifecycles.
Industry 4.0 for Medical Devices
Manufacturing of medical devices is a challenging process. Irrespective of what the company is producing – from diagnostic equipment to implants to disposable syringes – there has to be strict quality control in all the devices. Manufacturers of medical devices have unique requirements in terms of product mix, throughput requirements, quality standards and adherence to regulatory guidelines. All these constraints make medical device manufacturing an ideal candidate for the Industry 4.0 paradigm. The availability of miniscule, affordable intelligent sensors that can be included within products and materials throughout the shop floor and into the wider supply chain means products boost productivity. Medical products can communicate directly with process machines, which in turn can communicate with other machines, opening up whole new ways in how medical devices and products communicate. Using distributed intelligence and real time information, the implementation of Industry 4.0 tenets enables cost effective, high quality production of patient specific or personalized medical devices. Since Industry 4.0 moves from the traditional linear method of manufacturing to a dynamic series of processes, it is possible to manufacture highly intricate devices faster, and in a highly error free manner.
There are three ways in which Industry 4.0 is changing how medical devices of the future will improve healthcare:
i. Smart technology has now enabled once unwieldy devices to be portable. Glucose monitoring systems, automated insulin pumps, EKG / ECG monitors are now so small that they can be transported easily. This has proven to be a boon to patients who need frequent monitoring and were forced to visit hospitals every time the need arose.
ii. Industry 4.0 and IoT has also allowed a radical shift in the way medical devices are now connected. Earlier, the only possible way of connecting devices was through wires or at the most local wireless. The IoT has allowed devices to provide global connectivity. As an example, a medical device can now be paired with the patient’s mobile phone irrespective of the physical distance. This has made health monitoring a bit easier, especially for doctors.
iii. As smart technology grows, it will be possible to integrate multiple functionalities in a single medical device. Imagine a scenario wherein a single device can monitor the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure and pump insulin as needed. Or having a single device that monitors and diagnoses everything related to the nervous system – from the brain function to limb movements in patients with some neurological condition.
Industry 4.0, combined with IoT, places an emphasis on preventive maintenance and preventive analysis. What this means is that the software (like PTC ThingWorx) warns about potential problems beforehand; making operations streamlined and smooth in the field of medical devices.
Industry 4.0 and Impact of Mobile Phones on Medical Devices
The arrival of mobile phones has opened new vistas in the use of medical devices. While the first mobile phones were relatively slow, 3G and 4G coverage allows mobile phones to cover more geographical distance and also transmit data at a faster speed. Machine to Machine (M2M) communication might very much be instrumental for the integration of a variety of medical devices such as implants, artificial organs like pace makers, insulin pumps and other devices. With the help of Industry 4.0 software like ThingWorx and Kepware from PTC, it would also be possible to collect, integrate and aggregate data obtained from pharmaceutical and medical devices that might be IT enabled. The advent of 5G technology will provide even better optimization with regards to providing connectivity of hundred times more devices per geographical area, reducing end-to-end latency to less than 5 ms and increasing the reliability of device data.
Impact of Industry 4.0 in the Medical Field in India
In India, medical devices are now considered to play a key role in the delivery of quality health care to the masses, and the industry is thriving. The key drivers that are propelling the growth are healthcare expenditure, technological development, aging population, and chronic diseases. For European and American medical device manufacturers, higher labour turnover rate and attrition are primary concerns. Most manufacturers of medical devices now locate their factories in regions where labour is inexpensive. India is one such popular country. Wearable medical devices like glucose monitors and exercise trackers are projected to experience double the revenue growth of the overall device market in India. According to the report from a leading Audit and Consultancy agency, the growth rate of India’s medical-device industry is around 15 per cent. This easily surpasses the global industry growth rate of 4-6%. Industry 4.0 is extremely useful in stabilizing processes, digitizing information and better, more accurate data collection in this field, providing quality control over the manufacturing process. As Indian manufacturers are beginning to understand the positive impact of Industry 4.0 and embrace this advanced technology, the medical device industry in India is expected to achieve a turnover of about Rs. 175000 - 200000 crores by 2025.
Summary
Industry 4.0 combined with IoT should see a tremendous improvement in medical devices and healthcare in general. Here are a few salient features:
Industry 4.0 is an innovative approach to the medical field through the integration of technologies, smart machines and software like ThingWorx. It can provide a digital hospital integrated monitoring system for patients. It has the power to manufacture quality medical devices customized as per patient requirements. Coupled with IoT, Industry 4.0 opens a new world in the medical devices field that facilitates connectivity and data exchange with the help of new manufacturing technologies, software, sensors, robots and other advanced information technologies.
It is no wonder then that medical device manufacturers in India and elsewhere are embracing Industry 4.0 and its tenets.