Title
Gluco Spot
SMT allows realising a pocket diagnostic instrument saving costs up to 75%
Technologies used

SMT

Industrial sector (PRODCOM code)
    331 Precision Instrument - Medical and Surgical equipment

     
Abstract

Biochemical Systems (BS) is a small Italian company of 15 people founded in 1991 and working in the healthcare field. It designs, produces and sells scientific instruments of analysis and diagnostics, as well as all relevant chemical blood reagents to be utilised with their instruments. Company product for glucose analysis was a portable photometer named "Clin CHECK", based on Wet Clinical Chemistry and manufactured in traditional Through Hole PCB technology. To increase Company's competitiveness in the market of portable products (for doctor office area, first aid and home-care) as well as in the market of hand held products (pocket sized products for end users like patients who must regularly control blood glucose), BS needed to upgrade "Clin CHECK". This has been done using a new electronic technology, SMT - Surface Mounted Technology - to re-design the instrument for glucose analysis. Due to the twofold kind of production, electronic instruments and their many and different chemical reagents, Company's competencies prior this Application Experiment were mainly in the area of chemistry. Some competencies in the area of electronics were in-house as well, related to a 2 people staff, concerning THT PCB (traditional boards with Through Hole Technology of mounting) with microprocessor components. Thanks to this Application Experiment opportunity and thanks to the collaboration with a subcontractor skilled in design and test methodologies of SMT boards, the Company improved the old "Clin CHECK" product with many notable benefits gained by using SMT on the new product "GLUCO SPOT":

  • 94% reduction of dimension,
  • 88% reduction of weight,
  • 93% reduction of consumption,
  • 75% reduction of cost.

These results were obtained in front of an effort of 107 persondays for project duration of 7 months and for an overall investment of 36,93 KECU for the prototype of only the electronic part of the new instrument. Payback period for this investment is expected to be at the end of 2nd year from the large introduction of the product into the market. Rate of Return of investment has been evaluated by dividing the average additional annual profit due to the new technology adoption by FUSE investments to come to a prototype for the new electronic part. The expected ROR is 107%. The Return Of Investment (ROI) if calculated on the basis of increment of profit compared to the cost of the AE project, is of 426%. To get an industrial product, additional 84.48 KECU needed to be spent. This Application Experiment shows how a change of technology into Company's practice can allow obtaining products that meet new market requests, hence increasing dramatically the production volume and the related turnover.

Company
B.S. BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS SRL
Via G. Ferraris, 220
52100 AREZZO - ITALY
Detailed information
You can also benefit from microelectronics

SMT technology provided B.S. BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS SRL with the means of improving its products and enhancing its market position. You can also achieve significant benefits by acquiring the right microelectronics technology and utilising it in your product or manufacturing process. You can get help from FUSE to realise this.

FUSE is a technology transfer programme, funded by the European Commission to stimulate the wider use of microelectronics technologies by European enterprises to increase their competitiveness and enhance their economic growth. The demonstrator described here is one of many examples in the public FUSE portfolio covering the whole spectrum of microelectronics technologies and spanning a wide range of applications and industry sectors.

FUSE provides you with:

  • Best practice in acquiring specific microelectronics technologies and conducting full development projects through the FUSE portfolio of real life demonstrator documents.
  • Local training and expert support to plan your innovation realistically and help you conduct your project successfully.

Further information and support relating to this and other demonstrators can be obtained from the addresses below.
Further information   Guiding Technology Transfer Node
For further information and support regarding this case study, please contact a Technology Transfer Node (TTN) in your region.
Homepage: http://www.fuse-network.com
CESVIT
Via del Ferrone, 5
I-50124 Firenze
Italy