Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) executed“2019 Digital Oral Cavity and the Development of the Medical Imaging System for Navigation in Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgeries and Physiopathological Diagnosis ” program under the guidance and support from the Department of Industrial Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs (DoIT, MOEA), and showcased multiple research and development outcomes of medical devices on the 2019 Healthcare+ Expo Taiwan that was held from December 5th to 8th at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. The outcomes mainly focus on precision oral restoration, root analogue implants, fast-image-acquisition intraoral scanning technology, preoperative planning software of tissue segmentation, and other crucial technologies. The independent R&D of key technologies and software development increases the competitiveness of Taiwanese medical devices in the global market.
The global development and trend show that digital dentistry has been a new option for clinical treatment and can be applied in integrated treatment. The experience of doctors using dental instruments, coupled with the developments such as dental implants, surgical instruments, dentures and prosthodontics/oral bone defect repair software, 3D intraoral scanner, and so on, can add more value to medical devices for dentistry. Because of the trend of the aging society, the demand for orthopedic medical devices will increase sharply. As a result, various medical companies join the development of technologies or systems such as image integration, position and navigation, and robotic arms. It increases not only the precision and safety of surgeries but the overall medical quality.
Dr. Chih-Lung Lin, the Vice President of MIRDC, said that with the support, resources, and guidance from the government, the key technologies of the digital dentistry industry chain have been well-developed. The chain connects domestic medical companies through partnership, such as the product commercialization cooperating with Qisda Corporation. Moreover, a comprehensive system integration, such as intraoral scanning and laser milling, will be implemented to complete the one-stop digital dentistry service. The future direction would be based on the New Southbound Policy. More leading domestic dental/orthopedic products and manufacturers would be guided and assisted in selling Taiwanese medical products abroad, including the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries, to expand the global market of smart medical devices.