From Screen-Printed Electrodes to Implantable Biosensors: The Reality

At first glance, wearable and implantable biosensors can appear deceptively simple. A sleek device attached to the body or implanted beneath the skin quietly collects data and transmits it to the cloud. What often remains hidden is the extraordinary amount of science, engineering, funding, and manufacturing expertise required to make these technologies a reality.

In this webinar, Zimmer & Peacock explores how screen-printed electrode (SPE) technology has evolved from blood glucose test strips into the foundation of modern wearable and implantable biosensors. Along the way, we examine product development, manufacturing realities, funding requirements, and the lessons that can be learned from some of the world's most successful biosensor companies.

Screen-Printed Electrodes Are Already Changing Lives

Many researchers first encounter screen-printed electrodes as laboratory consumables. However, SPEs are far more than research tools. They are a proven manufacturing technology underpinning products used by millions of people worldwide.

Two prominent examples are:

Self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) strips
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems

Although these technologies look very different from a user's perspective, they share common roots in printed electrochemical sensor manufacturing.

Historically, blood glucose strips have been manufactured using thick-film printing approaches. The same manufacturing philosophies have influenced the development of modern CGM systems.

The key takeaway is simple:

Screen printing is not merely a prototyping technology. It is a scalable manufacturing technology capable of supporting mass-market medical devices.

Related Products

🔹 Screen Printed Electrodes
https://shop.zimmerpeacock.com/en-gb/collections/bare-electrodes

The Origins of Modern Glucose Biosensing

Modern electrochemical biosensing owes much to the pioneering work of Leland Clark.

In 1956, Clark developed the oxygen sensor that would ultimately form the basis of modern electrochemical sensing. His subsequent work led to the development of glucose biosensors that transformed diabetes management worldwide.

Today, whether using a traditional blood glucose strip or a sophisticated continuous glucose monitor, patients continue to benefit from these foundational electrochemical principles:

Working electrode
Counter electrode
Reference electrode
Enzyme-based detection

While packaging, connectivity, and user interfaces have advanced dramatically, the underlying electrochemistry remains remarkably familiar.

Everybody Wants the End Product

Many organisations begin their biosensor journey with a vision:

An implantable biosensor
A wearable health monitor
Real-time cloud connectivity
Smartphone integration
Clinical deployment

These are excellent ambitions.

However, one of the most common mistakes is focusing exclusively on the final product before proving the science.

When companies first engage with Zimmer & Peacock, they often request custom electrode designs immediately.

The better starting question is:

Does the sensing chemistry actually work?

Before investing in customised sensors, miniaturised electronics, or bespoke packaging, developers should first validate their core science using off-the-shelf components and screen-printed electrodes.

Develop Before You Productise

Product development follows a logical progression.

Unfortunately, many teams attempt to skip directly to advanced productisation features, including:

Custom electrode geometries
ASIC development
Miniaturised implantable electronics
Advanced industrial design
Injection-moulded housings

Without strong supporting data, these investments often create unnecessary expense.

Instead, development should focus on answering fundamental questions:

Does the assay function reliably?
What sensitivity can be achieved?
What is the sensor lifetime?
How stable is the chemistry?
What performance can be demonstrated repeatedly?

Only once these questions have been answered should teams move toward customisation.

Related Products

🔹 Biosensor Development
https://shop.zimmerpeacock.com/en-gb/pages/sensors

🔹 Biosensor Electronics
https://shop.zimmerpeacock.com/en-gb/products/biosensor-single-purpose-board

🧪 Chemical Standards & Solutions
https://shop.zimmerpeacock.com/en-gb/collections/chemical-and-solutions

The Funding Reality of Wearable Biosensors

One of the strongest messages from the webinar concerns the economics of biosensor development.

Many people underestimate the resources required to bring a wearable or implantable sensor to market.

Publicly available examples provide useful perspective.

Saba

Recent public disclosures indicate that Saba has raised approximately $63 million USD while continuing its journey toward commercialisation.

Biolinq

Biolinq has reportedly raised more than $400 million USD in funding throughout its development journey.

Neither example represents failure.

Instead, they demonstrate the substantial investment required to create robust medical technologies capable of regulatory approval and large-scale manufacturing.

At Zimmer & Peacock, over €25 million has been invested throughout the company's development to build expertise across:

Biosensors
Electronics
Manufacturing
Cloud connectivity
Implantable systems
Animal studies

Developing successful biosensors is rarely fast, inexpensive, or straightforward.

Learning from Abbott and TheraSense

One of the most compelling examples of screen printing's impact on biosensing is Abbott's FreeStyle Libre platform.

The origins of this technology can be traced back to TheraSense, a company founded around intellectual property developed by Professor Adam Heller.

While TheraSense initially commercialised blood glucose strips, Abbott recognised the broader value of the underlying technology and ultimately acquired the company.

This evolution provides an important lesson:

Successful manufacturing technologies are typically refined and miniaturised rather than replaced entirely.

Companies invest years developing expertise in materials, processes, and quality systems. When moving from SMBGs to CGMs, it is often more practical to evolve an existing platform than reinvent manufacturing from scratch.

From Sheets to Sensors

Many users purchase screen-printed electrodes individually and never consider how they are actually manufactured.

In reality, industrial production occurs using:

Sheet-based manufacturing
Roll-to-roll manufacturing
Automated printing systems

For researchers considering future scale-up, this matters.

Rather than purchasing fully singulated sensors, development teams may benefit from working with perforated sheets.

This approach offers several advantages:

Manual Development

Researchers can easily separate individual electrodes for testing.

Automated Scale-Up

Robotic dispensing systems can process entire sheets efficiently, positioning reagents onto hundreds or thousands of sensors automatically.

Maintaining compatibility with automated manufacturing early in development can save significant effort later.

Related Products

🔹 Screen Printed Electrodes
https://shop.zimmerpeacock.com/en-gb/collections/bare-electrodes

🔹 SPE Accessories & Solutions
https://shop.zimmerpeacock.com/en-gb/collections/solutions

Implantable Biosensors in Fish

One of the most fascinating projects discussed during the webinar involved implantable biosensors placed inside Norwegian salmon.

The process involved:

Anaesthetising the fish
Surgically implanting sensor packages
Suturing the incision
Allowing the animals to recover
Monitoring physiological parameters continuously

The implanted devices contained:

Screen-printed electrode technology
Biosensing chemistry
Batteries
Electronics
Acoustic communication systems

Because traditional radio-frequency communications perform poorly underwater, acoustic telemetry was used to transmit data.

The resulting system enabled continuous physiological monitoring while the animals remained active.

Implantable Biosensors in Pigs

Zimmer & Peacock has also developed implantable biosensor systems for use in pigs.

These systems combine:

Electrochemical biosensors
Miniaturised electronics
Wireless communication
Cloud-based dashboards

Before implantation, extensive in-vitro testing is performed using tissue models and long-duration studies.

Some sensor platforms have demonstrated operation for more than 22 weeks during laboratory testing.

Following implantation, data can be transmitted continuously to cloud infrastructure, providing researchers with real-time physiological information.

The end result is a complete sensing ecosystem rather than a standalone sensor.

Biosensors Are an Entire Technology Stack

A successful biosensor is much more than an electrode.

Modern systems typically require expertise in:

✅ Electrochemistry

✅ Surface chemistry

✅ Enzyme immobilisation

✅ Sensor manufacturing

✅ Electronics

✅ Firmware

✅ Wireless communications

✅ Mechanical design

✅ Packaging

✅ Data analytics

✅ Cloud systems

✅ Regulatory affairs

Each layer introduces additional complexity and development cost.

The challenge is not simply building a sensor.

The challenge is building a complete and reliable sensing platform.

Key Takeaways

Screen-printed electrodes already have a proven place within wearable and implantable biosensing.

We can see this through:

Blood glucose strips
Continuous glucose monitoring systems
Implantable animal sensors
Emerging medical monitoring technologies

However, success requires realistic expectations.

Remember:

Validate science before customisation.
Use off-the-shelf technologies wherever possible.
Develop before productising.
Design with manufacturing in mind.
Understand the true cost of medical device development.

Most importantly:

The journey from a screen-printed electrode to a commercial wearable or implantable biosensor is measured in years, thousands of experiments, multidisciplinary expertise, and substantial investment.