The Australian medical diagnostics sector represents around $9B out of a global medical device and imaging market of $280B. Both of these numbers are growing rapidly, and with its well-established funding and rebate schemes the Australian market is highly attractive for medical device and diagnostic businesses.

Australia is the fourth largest market for medical devices by revenue and the third largest for diagnostics within Asia Pacific according to AusBiotech. Australia joins Japan, China, South Korea and India in the top five, though our population is easily the smallest of the set.

Australians tend to regard our $11B domestic automotive manufacturing market with some passion, which financially at least, is very much in the same league as medical devices. So if passion is proportional to financial size, then the Australian medical diagnostics sector is being short-changed. There is a robust base of high quality instrument and device developers in Australia with experience in developing products and solutions for large and very large clients around the world.

Recognising our domestic expertise, the Victorian State Government is running the very successful Technical Voucher Program (TVP), which supports local companies, facilitating access to the State’s technology skills and services for product development.

In a welcome update to the program, the State Government is now allowing international applicants to receive vouchers to work with Victorian service providers. MiniFAB was delighted to learn recently that Kiwi company Zygem has been awarded a voucher to access our team’s expertise in microfluidics, diagnostics and manufacturing. Zygem is developing a device using molecular detection for rapid, mobile, forensic DNA fingerprinting.

Another TVP recipient MiniFAB will be teaming up with is IntelliMedical Technologies. The Victorian company is developing the IntelliWire, a steerable micro-guidewire for use in medical procedures. With a diameter of just 0.014” (0.36mm), the robotically steerable guidewire is the first of its kind and will allow cardiologists, neuroradiologists and other medical specialists to navigate the smallest and most tortuous of arteries and lesions faster and more effectively.

If you’re looking for a development partner for your product, learn more about the program here or contact Andrew Campitelli to see if your company is eligible to access MiniFAB’s experience and expertise through a TVP voucher.

Erol Harvey - CEO

The combination of a new tool, micron accuracy and reproducibility is sure to enthuse any engineer, and MiniFAB’s team is no exception.

Our development and manufacturing teams are excited about the company’s new precision milling equipment and our improved milling capabilities.

Results from internal tests show improved reproducibility, higher accuracy, superior surface finishes and lower cycle times.

“By investing in our internal capabilities, MiniFAB is growing the rapid prototyping services we provide our clients,” said Manufacturing Manager, Bas Garst.

A number of our clients are taking advantage of the flexibility and speed of this tool, using our mills to create features on a micron scale.

In recent months our milling experts have been pushing the mill to its limits. On one test they repeatedly milled 60µm wide, 60µm deep channels in COP and PMMA with +/- 3µm precision. Other runs using a 50mm diameter face mill to machine COP resulted in a surface roughness of Ra < 0.5µm.

“The more we use and develop our milling capabilities, the better the results we achieve and the greater the outcome for our clients” said Development Engineer, Christian Potzner.

Join MiniFAB at AusMedtech in Melbourne, Victoria from the 15th – 16th of May 2013

Connect with MiniFAB at AusMedtech in MiniFAB’s hometown of Melbourne, Victoria.

The annual AusMedtech conference brings together key stakeholder from the medical device and diagnostic sectors to discuss the issues facing the global medtech industry.

MiniFAB CEO Erol Harvey will be participating in a panel discussion on ‘Growing high value manufacturing in Australia’ from 10.00 – 11.30AM on the 16 May.

Key commercial issues on the 2013 agenda include export opportunities, finance and investment, hot technologies and updates in the fields of IP, regulatory approvals, health economics and reimbursement and sales networks.

Find out more about AusMedtech here. To arrange to meet with Erol or Andrew Campitelli at AusMedtech or outside the show, please email andrewcampitelli@minifab.com.au

Join MiniFAB at AACC in Houston, Texas from the 28th July to 1st August 2013, Booth #2410

MiniFAB will again be exhibiting at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Conference. Visit us at Booth #2410. This year the conference is being held Houston, Texas from the 28th July – 1st August.

“This is our sixth year at AACC; it’s a great event for connecting with the diagnostic community, learning about progress in the field and cutting-edge technologies, meeting potential clients and showcasing MiniFAB’s experience and expertise to the global industry,” said MiniFAB’s Business Development Manager, Andrew Campitelli.

If you’re also planning on being at AACC this year, send Andrew Campitelli an email and let’s organise a time to meet.

AACC is the largest clinical lab exposition in the world, focussed on connecting global leaders in clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management and other areas of breaking science in laboratory medicine. Find out more about AACC here.

Monitor TearLab’s market performance through their new iPhone App available to download through the Apple Store.

“We hope and trust [The TearLab IR App] will prove to be an essential new tool for shareholders, analysts and potential investors as they monitor our progress,” said TearLab’s CEO, Elias Vamvakas.

Check it out here.

MiniFAB CEO Erol Harvey was caught on tape last year at the Lab-on-a-chip World Congress. Watch his presentation on ‘Five Tips for Successful Commercialisation of Lab-on-a-chip Diagnostics’ here.