The OTWorld International Trade Show and World Congress, being held May 15-18 in Leipzig, Germany, hosts professionals in orthopedics and rehabilitation technology, including O&P. In 2016, OTWorld attracted 21,300 visitors from 86 countries, and 542 exhibitors from 43 nations. This Online Exclusive includes details of the biennial event to enhance the experience of those attending, and to share the topics under discussion for those who are unable to attend. Digitalization is this year’s highlighted subject.
The 2018 OTWorld International Trade Show and World Congress focuses on digital technologies in manufacture and retailing, and those that could gain a foothold. Attendees will hear a comprehensive overview of the status of patient care with medical aids and their production, addressing those that have proved successful, what benefits they bring, and what challenges may arise.
Leading world institutions, such as the British Columbia Institute of Technology, the Fraunhofer IPA, the Delft University of Technology, Münster Polytechnic, the Paracelsus Private Medical University, the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, the University Hospitals of Balgrist and Heidelberg, and the Universities of Pittsburgh and Southampton, will participate in discussions about taking digitalization from theory to practice.
A symposium, “Digitalisation–an assessment of practical experiences for use in the practice,” will focus on the integration of a digital process chain, including in the development of orthotic and prosthetic devices. Other sessions at the World Congress will include options and limitations of brain-computer-interface-controlled neuroprostheses for grasping, and the impact of robotics on rehabilitation. During the rehabilitation session, Professor Robert Riener of Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich (ETH Zurich), Sweden, will demonstrate the opportunities available from the latest rehabilitation technology, and consider the current shortcomings and future risks of these technologies for people and society.
Experts from the 3D-printing industry will lead sessions about the latest advancements in digital shaping of prostheses and orthoses, and discuss standards and tests for clarification of liability issues and quality deficits. A further symposium will study 3D-printed prosthetic feet tested and certified under ISO guidelines up to Category K4, individual liners, and made-to-measure orthoses with improved material properties.
The Start-up Zone, a new event at OTWorld, will offer young companies an opportunity to present their developments as they attempt to launch their products.
