(ASQ: Milwaukee) -- A new survey from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) asking medical device manufacturers about industry trends and challenges shows a majority (64.7%) identify health care legislation as having a negative effect on the industry in the year ahead. Increased FDA oversight and compliance with regulations tops what manufacturers feel will be the biggest challenge in their industry in the coming year.

The ASQ medical device industry survey results also sites these 2010 challenges:

• Impact of the health care reform
• Cost reduction while maintaining quality
• The effects of a proposed innovation tax

When it comes to innovation trends, manufacturers believe the hottest areas include:

• Nanotechnology
• IT/wireless capabilities for hospitals
• Less invasive surgeries and devices used
• Combination devices involving drugs and biologics

Hot trends

Respondents were also asked to identify the hottest medical device opportunity in the next three years:

 …