“Medical science has proven time and again that when the resources are provided, great progress in the treatment, cure, and prevention of disease can occur.”
– Michael J. Fox (American Actor – 1961-present)

The 2007 medical semiconductor market was dominated by the usual large semiconductor companies: Toshiba, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments. However, there are many other suppliers that are gaining share, and as with any emerging and enabling industry, there is plenty of room for more.

The medical industry is changing, and as medical practice moves out of the doctor’s office and into other spaces (e.g., the Internet and the home), companies are embracing the associated developing technologies in order to be competitive in the market. The traditional arrangement of the client visiting a doctor to have their symptoms diagnosed and then alleviated has slowly been changing. From the simple use of the Internet to research symptoms, to the potential for remote repair of medical problems, the medical market is undergoing serious changes.

A few of the “low lying fruit” product areas are signal-conditioning and processing, interface, and wireless. Along with other product areas, sales from these devices in medical are expected to reach $3 billion this year. New applications in medical electronics are enabling a new market by providing healthcare solutions in areas where traditional medical infrastructure doesn’t exist, similar to the mobile phone, which enabled communications where no telephone lines were in place. Enabling healthcare in developing geographies will drive this market near term.

Further out, demand will be driven by increasing use of electronics in applications used in actual medical procedures, i.e., if they can be used to actually treat a patient instead of just monitoring their condition.  It has been speculated that in the coming years devices will be developed that are capable of finding and destroying cancer cells that ultimately would turn into tumors, while other items may be developed that are capable of dispensing medicine. Other potential applications include implantable devices that can be used to repair tissue or even organs. Semiconductor suppliers are already entrenched and researching these developing areas today.