From February 3rd to 5th, 2026, MD&M West, the world’s leading exhibition for medical device design and manufacturing, took place in California. The event brought together medical device companies from around the globe, all looking for reliable partners in components, materials, R&D, and large-scale manufacturing. As medical device complexity increases, many companies are turning to specialised partners to accelerate development and scale production. Learn more about what a medical device CDMO does and how it supports innovation from concept to commercialisation.
Salt Medical attended MD&M West with its global technical and commercial teams, meeting both long-term partners and new innovators. Through open discussions, the team gained first-hand insight into current development and production challenges, while also sharing Salt Medical’s latest technical progress and proven experience in implantable and interventional devices.
A Clear Industry Shift Toward Intelligent Implantable Devices
Across nearly every clinical field, one trend is becoming increasingly clear: implantable and interventional devices are getting smarter. This evolution is closely linked to advances in intravascular diagnosis and treatment, where real-time data and precision delivery are transforming clinical outcomes.
From cardiovascular to gastrointestinal and urological applications, more devices are now designed with built-in sensors for real-time monitoring, energy-delivery components for ablation or stimulation, and even closed-loop systems that combine diagnosis and treatment in one solution.
The cardiovascular space continues to lead this shift. Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) is driving rapid growth in electrophysiology, while Renal Denervation (RDN) is gaining renewed attention as a promising therapy for hypertension. Explore how PFA catheter technology is reshaping cardiac ablation with safer, non-thermal energy delivery.
Proven Expertise in Intelligent Catheter Development
With years of hands-on experience in intelligent catheter technologies, Salt Medical is supporting innovative medical device companies worldwide through contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services. The development of these systems often relies on medical device prototyping to refine design, performance, and usability in early stages.
Current programs include:
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- Steerable, mapping, ICE, and PFA catheters for electrophysiology
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- Renal denervation (RDN) catheters
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- Thermal ablation catheters for gastrointestinal applications
At MD&M West, Salt Medical presented selected components and subassemblies (demonstration samples without customer IP), along with several high-difficulty manufacturing showcases. These included ultra-thin-wall extruded tubing, high kink-resistance coil-reinforced shafts, steerable microcatheters, and compliant balloons. Achieving this level of precision requires strong design for manufacturability to ensure consistency and scalability in production. The display attracted strong interest from visitors across the exhibition floor. Learn more about how steerable catheter design is evolving to improve navigation and control in complex procedures.
A Flexible, Global One-Stop CDMO Platform
During discussions at the show, teams from multinational companies and fast-growing startups alike recognised the value of Salt Medical’s expanding CDMO platform. Key strengths include:
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- Fast prototyping for intelligent catheter-based devices
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- End-to-end support, from development and verification to regulatory readiness and mass production
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- Quality systems aligned with FDA, CE MDR, and NMPA requirements
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- Global service flexibility through dual R&D and manufacturing centres in Ireland and China.
Many conversations at MD&M West have already moved into follow-up evaluations, laying the groundwork for future collaboration.
Looking Ahead
Salt Medical sincerely thanks all customers and potential partners for their trust and interest, and thanks MD&M West for providing an excellent platform for industry exchange. We look forward to continuing these conversations and supporting the next generation of implantable and interventional medical devices.
