Other device makers also face a tough few months sourcing components.

Device makers are also cottoning on to this psychology.

And medical device makers can only guess at the effect of the new tax - $20 billion over 10 years - on sales and profits on everything from bed pans to surgical instruments.

The device makers interviewed each insist they are in it for the long run.

Now the industry groups - device makers and diagnostics specialists as well as the medicine makers - are starting to talk about taking their relationship to the next level.