An Indication of Modularization for Medical Products with Bio-networks System

We get a lot of benefits from “open infrastructure”; a type of information sharing systems utilized on Internet. There are some excellent companies, such as Google, Facebook and Dropbox that provide us with outstanding services and useful tools for free. Thus, there is no doubt that we can live in a great era of technology, where products can be produced at relatively low costs. The potential that these benefits are bringing will integrate and create harmony among a lot of creators who gather the wisdom of the most advanced technologies. In addition, those technological developments help to attract creative minds. A lot of creators are struggling to change our life with the hope of creating a better future for us all. However, there is a current notable trend of “shrinking” in the opposite direction of “open infrastructure”. The phenomenon is known as modularization and is related to the development of highly sophisticated electric parts in real manufacturing. What's more, the trend of “modularization” may be a strategic turning point for medical industries.

Some people1) said that a very important point for current business strategy is a movement toward higher modularization that is a set of standardized parts or independent units in electronic components. In other words, finished products of electric appliances are built on specific modular parts in assembly plants. In addition, the parts that have multiple functions, such as motors and sensors, become essential for finished products to control a whole device automatically. From a business viewpoint, there is not an advantage for general electric companies that make a finished products. Thus, they are struggling for survival to develop these modular parts in the circumstance of a price competition of finished products. In addition, innovational integrations occur in the modular parts that have multiple functions equipped with customer's demand. The trend for modularization will expand into various industries, however, there are still some niche markets especially in the medical industry because the field has a lot of barriers to enter for outsider.

Let’s consider that the control power of modularization from the perspective of business decision-making. Recently the designers are in the center position of new value creation2). Moreover, they will produce unique corporations in collaboration with ambitious creators sometimes with voluntary actions. One such example is the Linux, which was developed by a large number of creative people, working mostly on a voluntary basis. Their motivations are called “Open source”, the social phenomenon became a well known principle for open innovation. The important point of voluntary motivations is the reward achieved by these technical enthusiast in an open environment. However, thanks to the development of recent technologies, modularization is a principal of progressive ideas for professionals, moreover, modularization drives out outsiders and amateurs because there are high gaps of knowledge and intelligence in a product design. Therefore, the design become a particular position for supremacy of product development, actually, the trend would restrict participants for modular developments in an open society.

Now, lets consider the impact of modularization on the field of medicine. For the medical fields, I expressed my personal long-term vision for the impact of a combination3) among drugs, medical devices and body parts with digital networks. In addition, I proposed the medical digital networks “Bio-networks”4) from vital signs of a human body, the trend is expanding in medical field as an open medical infrastructure for the public. On the opposite side, I pointed out the commoditization of the medical materials including of an effective ingredient.5) Therefore, I am confident that the combination of the three components; drugs, medical devices and body parts will bring a dramatic change for the medical industries, and it will open up new markets. In addition, the digital harmony among them should be inevitable for future medicine because bio-networks strategy will force medical tools for effective treatments such as precision medicine to make harmony with digital collaborations. However, there would be a new indication of modularization in the medical fields because the integration of three medical elements (drugs, medical devices and body parts) will make a demand for whole review of medical integrated products in the point of efficacy, safety and quality (These are the critical points of the medicine). Now, I bring forward new research to make an approach for the medical modularization. At the same time, I propose a new interchange for creators to interact with various professionals. In the end, the new trend of modularization in medical development will require corporations among qualified professionals and various creators to overcome a lot of obstacles, and help expand into niche markets of new composite competitions.

Ref.

(1) EVからロボット、家電まで「モジュール」で勝つ: http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/report/16nv/102100007/102100001/?P=1

(2) トヨタが知っている「利益の生み方」一番お金をかけているのはここ: http://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/49536

(3) A Consideration of Combination of Drugs, medical device and body parts with Bio-networks System: https://nmtbaron.amebaownd.com/posts/1176210

(4) Bio-networks Strategy: https://nmtbaron.amebaownd.com/

(5) Open up ”a lost field” in Drug Discovery: https://nmtbaron.amebaownd.com/posts/997164

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