The 2020 Healthcare+ Expo Taiwan was held at the Nangang Exhibition Center from December 3rd to December 6th. With guidance from the Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA, MIRDC implemented the 2020 Hybrid Operating Room System and Key Technology Development Program and the Controllable Degradation Rate Technology of Medical Magnesium Alloys and Application Development Program. MIRDC showcased many R&D results for medical devices during the Expo, mainly focusing on medical products with precision positioning technology, radio frequency positioning systems for minimally invasive surgery, robot-assisted surgery systems, and biodegradable magnesium alloy hemostatic clip systems, attracting nearly 100 attendees who inquired about the future development and cooperation opportunities for the aforementioned technologies.

An overview of the global development trend shows that the population is aging faster, especially in Taiwan. Aging is a risk factor for degenerative diseases and the rapid increase of osteoporosis, which is treated with surgery. To cope with increasing demand for minimally invasive surgery for orthopedic diseases, MIRDC developed key technologies for smart orthopedic robot-assisted surgery systems, including an indigenously developed radio-frequency/optical hybrid positioning system, multi-vertebrae spinal navigation system, robotic-assisted surgery technology, and smart guidance for robot arms by applying AI to physical and virtual environments. MIRDC has integrated these key technologies into a globally advanced robot-assisted surgery system to drive domestic companies to develop their own brands or to join the supply chain of major global manufacturers.

Dr. Chih-Lung Lin, Vice President of MIRDC, said that smart healthcare is trending worldwide. MIRDC not only developed the world’s first multi-vertebrae robot-assisted surgery system and implemented the surgical system products in the clinic, but also developed magnesium alloy bone screws and hemostatic clips that can degrade at different rates according to the indications. Magnesium alloy has good mechanical and biodegradability properties; it can stimulate the activity of bone cells to achieve uniform and slow degradation until it is completely absorbed by the human body, so there is no need to remove it through a second operation, effectively reducing patients’ discomfort. It can be applied to medical devices and could replace the current clinical use of stainless steel and titanium alloy materials. This technology has already been applied to industrial applications and has been imported by relevant domestic companies for cooperative development. In the future, MIRDC will continue to provide various smart healthcare solutions and support domestic companies that are developing technology and improving performance to strengthen the competitiveness of MIT systems and products.