Point-of-care devices: the next generation of healthcare

Dan Rogers - 03 Oct 2009

The market for printed electronics in healthcare diagnostics is predicted to grow to around $414 million [€329 million] by 2015, according to the report Printed and Organic Sensor Markets: 2007-2015, published by NanoMarkets in September 2007.

Biosensors used in cheap, diagnostic devices are one of the biggest development areas for electronics in the healthcare sector - from UK-based Molecular Vision's self-diagnostic device for diabetes and STDs, to a point-of-care device being designed by the Finnish BioForum Oulu. +PE.com asked industry experts how this sector was developing:

Ian Campbell, CEO of Molecular Vision. The company is developing a credit card-sized device for the diagnosis of diabetes, STDs and other diseases

'Clearly the technology will grow and there will be a broader acceptance. As cost and performance benefits increase, there will be an increase in the market.'

Tjin Swee Chuan, principal investigator associate professor at the School of Electrical and Engineering at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore. The university is developing biosensors with funding from electronics company Nitto Denko

'Applications where we can shift point-of-care from clinic and hospital-based to home-based - aiming at improving healthcare condition through wellness-monitoring - will make the greatest impact in the future.
'We expect to see prototype in two to three years and production in four to five years.'

Emil List, CEO of NTC-Weiz, part of a cluster funded by the Austrian Nano Initiative to develop medical biosensors

'When you combine healthcare and organic electronics, disposable indicators are where there is a certain market potential.
'We have good concepts and we're at the stage of getting patents granted.'

Marrku Känsäkoski, customer manager of printable electronics and optics at VTT. The company is overseeing the BioOulu project in Finland to create a number of lab-on-chip devices for healthcare

Due to BSE, SARS, bird flu and the 9/11 events, a lot of research has accelerated recently, driven by fears of health, terrorism and bio-warfare.
'We have already commercialised the first product - an old-fashioned wet chemistry test transferred to a printed test, which is simple to use and gives visual signal rapidly -Just moisten the surface and wipe, wait 30 seconds and see if there is a colour change. If colour changes, then the surface had protein contaminants.'