Medical electronics were prevalent among the finalists in this year's Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA), an annual competition put on by MD+DI to highlight the achievements of medical product manufacturers.

Among the electronic products that stood out were the DermScope, an iPhone app that allows users to capture and share dermatoscopic images; a host of imaging devices, from the BodyTom portable CT scanner to the NOMAD Pro handheld x-ray system; and the King Vision digital video laryngoscope. There was also a robotic prosthesis, the BiOM Ankle, and a wireless system for incontinence management, SIM.

One of the trends that emerged from the competition was miniaturization. The 2012 field of entries saw smaller versions of everything from a surgical navigation system to a ventilation system to a power supply for a portable heart. Another trend was connectivity, as showcased in the LS-1, a portable intensive care unit that can be controlled remotely.

A complete list of MDEA finalists is available on our sister site MD+DI.

Jamie Hartford is associate editor of MED and MD+DI. Follow her on Twitter at @readMED.