The ongoing semiconductor shortage that arose amid the pandemic has impacted various essential industries, including those developing medical devices. The chip shortage’s long-standing impact on medical device production is expected to negatively impact product development moving forward.
The severe global shortage of chips threatens to disrupt the manufacturing of life-saving medical devices and systems. If we fail to take immediate action to address this shortage, it will impact patients in all corners of the world.
Chips, also known as semiconductors, are often referred to as the brains powering modern technologies. These small wonders are essential components in vital medical equipment and systems, such as ultrasound devices that examine an unborn baby’s development, defibrillators that respond to sudden cardiac arrest, and patient monitors that assess a patient’s vital signs in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the ICU, patients’ conditions can change quickly, so having access to real-time data allows care teams to ensure that signs of deterioration are not missed. By not taking action to address chip supply issues in the medical technology industry, we could see a serious shortage of these devices and many others.
Demand for these chips is expected to double by 2028.
Read the full story at World Economic Forum.
