Sustainable Point-of-Care Diagnostics for Medical Technology

Fraunhofer EMFT develops resource-efficient copper conductor tracks and flexible, roll-to-roll sensor solutions – enabling technologies for point-of-care diagnostics, wound monitoring, and blood self-sampling applications with broad potential across healthcare.

The team developed resource-efficient copper conductors on flexible foils using a semi-additive manufacturing process, significantly reducing material consumption and environmental impact. In addition, Fraunhofer EMFT adapted and tested miniaturized pH sensors for wound monitoring – compact enough to be directly integrated into flexible foil systems or bandages.

A key highlight is the demonstrator of a pH sensor on a flexible foil substrate: Silicon-based sensors were integrated onto flexible films and operate reliably across a pH range of 5 to 8 – precisely the range relevant to wound monitoring, where pH levels can provide insights into inflammation and the healing process. Beyond this, the institute is responsible for the modular integration of electronic modules, sensor patches, and energy sources into ready-to-use systems, such as the point-of-care device developed within the project.

Skin-surface temperature measurement is another valuable parameter for health monitoring. In the SusFE project, the partners demonstrated a world-first: a compact foil-based temperature measurement module that uses an ultra-thin NFC controller chip (FlexIC) to transmit measurement data to a smartphone. Unlike conventional NFC chips, the FlexIC is not based on monocrystalline silicon.

Aging populations, the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, and rising healthcare costs are putting increasing pressure on healthcare systems. This creates a growing need for diagnostic devices that are both cost-effective and resource-efficient. This is where SusFE comes in: Building on flexible sensor and interconnect technologies, the consortium is developing medical applications for wound monitoring (Fraunhofer EMFT), as well as blood self-sampling and point-of-care diagnostics (project partners) – consistently leveraging sustainable electronics and biosensor technologies instead of conventional, resource-intensive silicon-based solutions.

SusFE has successfully demonstrated the development of all the components required for sustainable medical sensing. As the next step, the project partners aim to achieve full system integration – from environmentally friendly energy sources and microcontrollers to sensors and the software platform – followed by testing in a real-world medical environment.

Interested in working with us?

Talk to the Fraunhofer EMFT team about flexible, sustainable electronics for your medical technology application.