Neo-Bionica launches onshore critical medical manufacturing process

Advanced MedTech contract manufacturer Neo-Bionica has revealed the expansion of its manufacturing services with the launch of its new hermitization capability – a first for Australian industry.

Hermitization is a critical capability in the development of implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers, cochlear and other hearing implants, and deep brain and spinal cord stimulation.

The process is the creation of hermitically sealed enclosures that are crucial to ensure patient safety and a long service life for implantable devices and biosensors that utilise electronics.

This marks the first time that Australian medtech innovators will have access to local hermitization services.

Until now only companies such as Cochlear have had hermitization capabilities in house in Australia. However this is a key manufacturing capability and product differentiator for the world’s leading medical device companies.

The Melbourne company expects this new service will accelerate the commercialisation journey for local, emerging MedTech innovators.

Neo-Bionica’s Chief Technology Officer Uli Gommel said: “Neo-Bionica is very proud to be able to make hermitization readily accessible to the Australian MedTech industry.”

With this capability, Neo-Bionica can now offer end-to-end manufacturing services to clients developing smart implantable medical devices.

Neo-Bionica’s engineering manager Thomas Crugnale said: “This service paves the way for earlier manufacturing of hermetically sealed implants during the design and development phase.

“This, in turn, fast-tracks the market entry for MedTech innovations.

“I am really looking forward to working with our clients to develop their devices using this capability.“

This new capability was supported by funding from the Victorian Government through the Australian MedTech Manufacturing Centre (AMMC).

Further reading:
How Cochlear’s manufacturing skills kept it onshore

Picture: Neo-Bionica