Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fabrication of these biosensor devices in bulk will always be a constraint. Furthermore, and
as indicated previously, this report also points out that the transduction of the biological sig-
nal to an electrical signal will continue to challenge the best of minds involved in the devel-
opment of miniaturized next generation biosensors. Clearly, biosensor companies need to
exploit niches, especially as quite a few competitive analytical technologies exist at present.
The
Fraunhofer Institute (IBMT, Institute Biomedizinische Technik) (2009)
indicates that
biosensors and immunoassays are cost-efficient techniques to detect analytes in complex
samples. The authors add that there is a growing need for multiplexed tests; for example, hor-
mone profiling in menopausic women. These authors emphasize that a flexible technological
platform which permits the detection of several analytes in parallel will significantly reduce
the time-to-market. They point out that miniaturized multiplex biochips and biosensors are
the key to economical and maketable applications. They further report that if minimum sys-
tem costs are of extreme importance then electrochemical schemes can be very beneficial.
They have developed regenerable immunoassay chips for the parallel detection of several
steroid hormones (e.g., progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone).
In a recent report titled “Emerging Healthcare Applications, Market Trends Analysis,”
Infoshop (2009)
has written a report that is beneficial to strategic planners, marketing
managers at medical device companies in the life science and biotechnology companies
who may be interested in nanotechnology and its impact on their devices. A set of companies
of current interest that were targeted were diagnostic companies interested in nanosensors
and nanoarrays that are capable of rapid and real-time detection of single molecules. Also,
microarrays and biochip companies would find the analysis of interest. The authors of the
report interviewed key business development personnel, CEOs, and marketing executives,
amongst others. In these expert interviews the questions addressed included strategic focus,
technologies under development, diseases targeted, strategic alliances, barriers to expansion,
time to technology introduction, sales data, and revenue projections. Technological and mar-
ket limiters were also addressed. Apparently, quite a few biosensor based companies may
find the information in this report useful in some form or the other. Of course, this is with
the implicit understanding that these types of reports lose their significant impact or useful-
ness rather quickly owing to the rapidly changing biosensor field.
Harrop (2009)
of IDTechEx reports that Faunhofer, IZM, Germany in an article on
manufacturing microfluidic biosensors explains that high throughput manufacturing of
biosensors is still a challenge. This, according to them, is owing to the survival of the
biological component on the one hand, and current MEMS technologies on the other. This
they emphasize has been directly responsible (hindrance) for the commercialization of
biosensors for a wide range of applications. The manufacturing challenges lie in the lack
of compatibility of MEMS processes and biomolecular survival. They emphasize that, for
example, if the biosensor reaction system requires more than a single reagent for the assay,
