Accelerating POCT/IVD growth through miniaturization

The Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) market is undergoing significant transformation with ever increasing innovation largely enabled by biotechnology and semiconductor synergies. In recent years, diagnostic testing has shifted from healthcare laboratories to medical clusters closer to the patient, such as the doctor’s office, a pharmacy or even at home.

POCT provides higher accuracy, a simplified workflow, and lower cost which is a considerable advantage for patient monitoring regardless of the patient’s geographical location. As a result, the need for POCT handled and portable machine continues to grow and IVD tests that were generally performed by healthcare laboratories equipped with expensive life-science instrument and highly qualified staff can now be managed by smaller structures with little or no qualified staff, but robust workflow, accuracy and reliability.

Microelectronics, by enabling integration of semiconductor electronics coupled with biosensors, generates not only reliable instantaneous data increasing the diagnostic range, but also connect securely and instantaneously the patient to the route of care. Microelectronics is the new catalyst of the POCT/IVD market and will foster the expansion of those markets. Miniaturization of semiconductor devices is also critical for POCT devices, which need to be small and portable. Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are the ideal semiconductor solution for POCTs because they pack high functionality into a small design.

POCTs help to accelerate the detection and prevention of disease, thereby revolutionizing patient care with greater flexibility and a simplified monitoring experience. Learn more about the accelerating market growth of POCT/IVD devices and the semiconductor technology that is helping to enable it.

Dramatic growth of the Point of Care Testing (POCT) market, mainly driven by IVD

The Point of Care Testing (POCT) market is expected to grow over to $105B in 2025, a 7% 2022-25 CAGR (source: PwC). If today the leading market segment of this market is reagents and kits that interact with the biomarkers, newly developed biosensors enable the development of a complete new set of small portable instruments, as for diabetes dosimeters. Such dramatic growth will fuel explosive demand for In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) devices. Theses consumables and devices need to analyze biological samples (mainly fluids: blood, saliva, urine) and identify biomarkers through sophisticated optical or electrical signal processing. This capability is provided by electronics that need to be reliable, accurate, portable, small, and affordable for mainstream adoption.

One technology can fulfil these requirements: semiconductors, and their dedicated version, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Until recently, ASICs were perceived as overly complex and expensive to develop, hence out-of-reach for the IVD medical device industry dominated by active strips. But this is not the case anymore. IVD technologies can now successfully be implemented at a more affordable cost and within a pay-back period that is generally less than 18 months for most of handled devices, and multiplying the use cases and workflow optimization.

IVD, a fast-growing market

COVID19 has only been a catalyst of a heavy trend, however, the IVD market growth is mainly driven by these 4 factors:

1. The aging population.

2. The increase in chronic and infectious diseases for which early detection is essential.

3. The simplification of the route of care, and better patient experience of treatment or care monitoring procedures.

4. The automatization of the instruments that will lower the costs.

The most well-known equipment in POCT and in-home testing are pregnancy tests, glucose monitors for diabetics, and more recently, the COVID auto-test.

While the majority of these POCTs used to be based on specific chemical active strips, innovation in electronically-assisted POCT has introduced many benefits and covers a lot of other diagnostics with facilitated workflows. These new IVD medical devices are able to produce faster, more accurate results and improve patient comfort by simplifying the workflow and procedures. They also enable a secured connection which adds a great number of new possibilities for big data analytics.

Electronically-assisted POCT devices are a more cost-effective route of care. They offer a simplified user experience since testing can be done at home or without qualified medical professional. They are also more affordable for large scale adoption from smaller structure.

Miniaturization as a market accelerator

For mobile and wearable devices, size is often a critical market adoption requirement. One of the challenges of electronics is to fit a lot of components into a small size, forcing the trends towards miniaturization of critical discrete functions and components.

When every square millimeter counts, discrete technologies cannot compete with ASICs for packing the most functionality into the smallest space at the lowest cost. Why? Because an ASIC is a system on chip (SoC) with multiple functionalities integrated into one component, whereas discrete ICs involve multiple separate chips on a circuit board to realize the same function. IVD equipment needs to be smaller to make it accessible in several POCT, therefore miniaturization and integration are key to accelerate market adoption.

Presto POCT ASIC toolbox

Presto built a POCT toolbox by working with key customers in the field of biosensors, and started developing specific measurement units (optical, electrochemical spectroscopy and amperometric) based on key players sensor chemistry knowledge. By integrating Presto's own core foundation IP from A/D and connectivity front-end, we can create extremely optimized POCT silicon readers integrating both customer's algorithm and certified workflows, enabling upstream and downstream powerful analytical benefits.

Presto POCT ASIC toolbox is a platform that:

1. Provides most of the building blocks for quick and cost-effective development of any specific diagnostic needing electrochemical impedance or optical spectroscopy.

2. Allows collaborative work with IVD providers on the implementation of specific measurements to accommodate their biosensor interfacing.

3. Leverages a well-oiled semiconductor infrastructure for fast deployment on the market.