Many factors have contributed to global momentum in the medical electronics industry, with the convergence of electronics technology and biological health sciences playing a major role. Growth in medical electronic applications (yes, there is an App for that!) will parallel Cell Phone and Tablet PC markets, with increases in computing power as well as optical resolution and touch sensor technologies. Current focus for mobile, implantable and large medical systems is on improved personal health, with preventative applications and advanced early diagnostics. Various integrated circuit (IC) technologies, now complemented by MEMS bio-sensor technologies, allowed for significant development in areas such as prosthetics, combining “artificial limbs” with “artificial intelligence”, sensing and reacting to very small electrical impulses from the brain, through direct body contact. 

This conference will address the many industry challenges and opportunities including safety, reliability, miniaturization, manufacturing and materials as well as government regulations and political healthcare initiatives. The human body is a convergence of various biological phenomena and sophisticated electrical networks controlled by the brain, with the health sciences and medical electronics technologies converging to meet strong global demand.

MEMS Technology and the Healthcare Industry --
The Convergence of Timelines and the Perfect Storm
Sam Bierstock, MD, BSEE, Physician (Internal Medicine and Ophthalmic Surgery), Electrical Engineer, Medical Informaticist, founder of Champions in Healthcare

Many factors have contributed to advancements in the medical industry, but perhaps none of greater potential importance than MEMS technology. In recent years the MEMS industry has discovered healthcare, and the healthcare industry has begun to discover MEMS. However while MEMS technology is poised to determine the future of the delivery of healthcare in the US (and quite possibly the world), paradoxically, the healthcare industry in general has not completely grasped the concept of, if not the very existence of, the MEMS industry and what it has to offer.

U.S. Healthcare is preoccupied with the survival issues of the day – healthcare reform, positioning to provide access to 40 million more people, endless complex regulation, skyrocketing costs, diminishing reimbursements, escalating security requirements, and more. Knowing how, who, and where to engage in order to position innovative MEMS technology requires an intimate understanding of both the uniquely mired processes of the healthcare industry and the mindset of the clinical end-users.

The timing for MEMS technology in healthcare could not be more perfect. Physician adoption of electronic medical records, while sluggish for the last 15 years, has been given a massive push by governmental financial incentives to providers and hospitals. Massive amounts of data are being accumulated and bureaucracies formed to collect, collate and assess “Big Data”. The ultimate goal is to monitor trends for disease patterns, assessment of treatment processes, the establishment of treatment protocols and evaluation of the quality of care delivered.

Much of the data required will need to be collected passively and unobtrusively, 24 hours a day, and in the out-patient setting of day-to-day life. This presentation will explain why the timing for MEMS technology relative to health care could not be more ideal.

Sam Bierstock, MD, BSEE is a Physician (Internal Medicine and Ophthalmic Surgery), Electrical Engineer, and Medical Informaticist, and the founder and President of Champions in Healthcare. Dr. Bierstock is a nationally recognized authority on healthcare and healthcare information technology, author of 4 books, more than 100 published professional articles, and international lecturer. He is the Recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal, Freedoms Foundation for his work on behalf of our nation’s veterans. He has appeared on CNN, Fox TV, NPR, and every major national TV network and has been featured in People Magazine, USA Today, US News and World Report and National Public Radio among numerous other national TV, print and radio media venues, and has been a contributor to the Wall Street Journal on national healthcare related issues.

Click here for Dr. Bierstock's full bio.

Technical Chairman
David Ruben, Technical Fellow, Medtronic, Inc.  

General Chairman
Nicholas Leonardi, Director of Business Development
Premier Semiconductor Services

Jeffrey LaBelle, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University

Ron Molnar, Executive Director
AZ Tech Direct, LLC

Guna Selvaduray, Ph.D.
Professor, Materials Engineering,
San Jose State University

There are only ten sponsorships available. Sponsoring this symposium event will provide a valuable opportunity to promote your company brand and product/service message to attendees, while supporting your business development and positioning goals.  Cost is $1,875.00. These sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Click Here for sponsorship benefits and application.

Pre-Registration is strongly recommended. There will be no guarantee of space or materials for on-site registrants. There will be an additional $25.00 fee to register at door on the day of the event without a pre-paid or held reservation. Your registration fee for the technical conference includes proceedings, coffee breaks, and lunch. Guaranteed registration will be accepted by mail, fax, phone or e-mail. Space is available on a first come, first served basis. Pre-registering and pre-paying will guarantee you admission, proceedings materials and lunch. Please note that you may pay at door for attendance, but you must hold your registration with a credit card.

Refunds for advance payment, less a $50 processing fee, will be given in full provided cancellation is received 7 business days prior to the event (by end of day Friday, September 16). If you chose to pay at the door but do not show and do not cancel by the date stated above, the credit card you provide to hold the reservation will be charged.

A block of rooms is being held at the Four Points by Sheraton Tempe until August 23 for attendees for $100.00. A personalized website has been set up on their site, click here to make your reservation: MEPTEC Conference 2013

You may also call 866-716-8133 or 800-368-7764. If you call make sure you mention MEPTEC.

Creating Solutions for Health through Technology Innovation
Karthik Vasanth, Ph.D., General Manager for Medical and High Reliability, Texas Instruments

Karthik Vasanth received the Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (Chennai) in 1991. He received his Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University in 1995. He joined the Silicon Technology Development group at Texas Instruments in 1995 and worked on compact process and device simulation models. He was also involved in the development and validation of advanced Spice models including BSIM4. He was also elected as a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Texas Instruments in 2005. In 2010 he was promoted as the General Manager of the Medical and High Reliability Business Unit at TI. He has published over 30 papers and authored/co-authored several patents.

A combination of technical, market and health topics will be presented through presentations and panel discussions.
Topics to-date include:

• Safety and reliability of medical device
• MEMS and Mobile Health Care market overview
• Bonding techniques of new wire alloys for medical electronics
• Wafer Level Packaging and TSV for biomedical applications
• MEMS & Sensors for Medical Applications
• Security and psychological issues in medical devices
• Miniaturized electronic packaging for wearable health monitors
• Wireless communication/solid state batteries in miniature implantable medical devices
• Designing more reliable medical products
• “Fantastic Voyage” meets medical device design