Source: Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry, by Olivier Henry, Imec (September 2, 2020). AI-generated summary by biochip.com, published . Not independently reviewed.
Key takeaways
- Imec's Olivier Henry says chip technology could deliver cost-aware efficiency gains and open new diagnostic application markets.
- The IVD market was projected to grow at a 6.6% cumulative average rate from 2018 and approach $100 billion in 2023.
- Paper and plastics will remain appropriate for many low-cost tests, while the passage does not establish performance data for semiconductor devices.
Diagnostics manufacturers are under pressure to make tests more personalized, dependable, and affordable, and Olivier Henry of Imec argues that chip technology can help meet those competing demands. His focus is not on a single new product, but on the way semiconductor-based technology could change how diagnostic devices are designed and manufactured. The opportunity comes as healthcare shifts toward patient-centered care, where tests increasingly guide choices for individual people rather than broad populations. One important example is the growing interest in companion diagnostics, tests that help predict whether a particular treatment is likely to suit a patient and can track its effects during care. The global in-vitro diagnostics market, or IVD market, was projected to grow at a cumulative average rate of 6.6% from 2018 and approach $100 billion in 2023. Paper and plastic will remain practical materials for many inexpensive consumer tests, including pregnancy, lactate, and glucose tests. But Henry points to situations where higher accuracy, greater functionality, or more consistent results may make silicon and related semiconductor technologies attractive. For diagnostics companies, the question is whether established manufacturing approaches can incorporate these technologies while preserving cost discipline.
A Market Moving Toward Personalization
In-vitro diagnostics are tests performed on samples taken from the body, such as blood or other fluids, rather than measurements made inside the body itself. They support decisions across healthcare, from consumer testing to laboratory analysis.
Henry identifies personalized and patient-centered healthcare as a major force reshaping the field. As physicians seek tests that can help match treatments to patients, diagnostic manufacturers face pressure to deliver more information from each test.
Why Companion Diagnostics Raise the Bar
A companion diagnostic acts like a screening tool for a treatment decision. It aims to indicate whether a given therapy is likely to be appropriate for a specific patient, then can be used to monitor that therapy's effect during treatment.
That role creates expectations that go beyond simply detecting whether a substance is present. A test may need to produce results with accuracy and consistency that clinicians can rely on when making treatment choices.
Paper and Plastic Still Have a Place
For many diagnostic products, paper and plastics remain the standard materials for capturing and handling samples. Their appeal is straightforward: they are inexpensive, familiar to manufacturers, and well suited to many consumer healthcare tests.
Henry does not frame semiconductor technology as a universal replacement for those materials. Cost will keep paper and plastic in use for the foreseeable future in many applications, especially where a simple test is sufficient.
When Silicon Becomes Relevant
The balance changes when a diagnostic device needs more accuracy or added functionality. Henry highlights fast tests that require sequencing, as well as applications where strip-to-strip variation caused by the substrate is unacceptable.
An everyday comparison is the difference between a printed checklist and a small computer. Both can handle a basic task, but a computer can perform more controlled and complex operations. In diagnostics, silicon and related semiconductor technologies may offer a route to laboratory-like performance in a device that remains convenient and low cost.
Competition Is Driving Technology Choices
Diagnostics providers are operating amid margin pressure and growing competition, even as the broader IVD market expands. Henry argues that a willingness to adopt current technologies and innovations may help companies establish and maintain a competitive position.
He also sees hesitation among established diagnostics suppliers, while technology giants and startups move into healthcare. Part of that reluctance may stem from limited familiarity with chip technologies that are already available for implementation.
Why This Matters
Chip technology matters here because it could help manufacturers address a difficult design tradeoff: delivering higher-performing diagnostic devices without losing sight of manufacturing cost. The potential is especially relevant where a test must do more than provide a basic yes-or-no answer.
For patients and clinicians, better integration of diagnostic capability could support the move toward tests that inform treatment selection and follow therapeutic response. For manufacturers, it presents both a technical opportunity and a strategic choice about when conventional materials are enough and when a semiconductor-based approach may add value.
The Next Manufacturing Question
The practical challenge is to identify diagnostic use cases where added accuracy, functionality, and consistency justify adopting chip technology. As personalized care increases demand for more capable tests, manufacturers will need to weigh those benefits against the enduring cost advantages of paper and plastic platforms.
Topics: Diagnostics & precision medicine
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