Brighton Uni pioneers low-cost 3D-printed medical sensors that could transform global healthcare
Researchers at the University of Brighton are developing a new generation of low-cost, sustainable medical sensors that could make diagnosing conditions more affordable and accessible around the world
Researchers at the University of Brighton are developing a new generation of low-cost, sustainable medical sensors that could make diagnosing conditions ranging from heart attacks and arthritis to bowel disease and cancer faster, more affordable and accessible around the world.
Led by Professor Bhavik Patel, the research team has spent the past three years fundamentally rethinking how medical sensors are designed and manufactured. Instead of relying on complex production methods and specialist facilities, the team has developed sensors that can be produced using widely available 3D printers and simple electronic components – dramatically reducing both cost and environmental impact while making the technology easier to reproduce anywhere in the world.
The approach marks a significant shift in how diagnostic technologies are developed. By making sensors cheaper to manufacture, easier to assemble and designed to be reused and recycled, the researchers hope to make advanced diagnostic tools more accessible to healthcare providers and researchers worldwide.
Unlike many conventional medical sensors, which are designed for single use and generate significant plastic and chemical waste, the University's approach places sustainability at the heart of the manufacturing process. The team has demonstrated that the sensors can be produced using less material, environmentally friendly manufacturing methods and recyclable components, creating a greener alternative without compromising performance.
Professor Patel said: "Around the world, millions of people don't benefit from the latest diagnostic technologies because they're expensive to manufacture, require specialist equipment or simply aren't practical to produce at scale.
"We wanted to start again and ask a different question: what would a medical sensor look like if it was designed to be affordable, sustainable and simple enough for almost anyone to manufacture? That's the challenge we've been working towards.
"Accessibility isn't just about lowering the cost of a test. It's about making the technology itself easier to produce, easier to share and ultimately easier for healthcare systems around the world to adopt."
At the University of Brighton, the technology has already been used to develop a series of low-cost sensors designed to tackle a range of major health challenges.
Recently graduated PhD researcher Dr Chloe Miller, working with Biomedical Science graduate Athira Prasanth and Professor Patel, developed a 3D-printed sensor capable of detecting sugars in stool samples more accurately than traditional laboratory methods. Costing less than £0.10 to produce, the device could improve diagnosis of intestinal malabsorption – a condition that affects the body's ability to absorb nutrients and can lead to poor nutrition, particularly in children, older adults and people with bowel disorders. The sensor has successfully been tested in biological samples, with future research aiming to validate the technology for clinical use.
In a separate University of Brighton project, research fellows and PhD students developed an innovative 3D-printed sensor capable of detecting TNFα, a protein that signals inflammation in the gut. Successfully tested in faecal samples, the technology could one day support simpler, non-invasive monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease and other gut conditions. The work also provides an important foundation for a wider University project developing an implantable device that could continuously monitor bowel health and deliver medication directly where it is needed.
The University's expertise has also led to collaborations with researchers across the UK and internationally. Working with the University of Strathclyde and the National Measurement Laboratory at LGC, Professor Patel contributed to the development of a 3D-printed sensor capable of detecting cardiac troponin – a protein released during a heart attack. Costing around £0.20 to produce, the device successfully detected clinically relevant levels in human serum, highlighting its potential as the basis for faster, lower-cost diagnostic tests closer to the patient.
In collaboration with the University of Naples Federico II, Dr Chloe Miller, Professor Patel and visiting researcher Dr Panagiota M. Kalligosfyri developed a fully 3D-printed sensor capable of detecting tiny biological molecules associated with diseases including lung cancer. Costing around 30 pence to produce, the device successfully detected these biomarkers in laboratory testing, laying the groundwork for faster and more accessible diagnostic tests in the future.
Professor Patel added: "Although each of these projects tackles a different health challenge, they're all built on the same idea: creating diagnostic technologies that are better for patients, better for the environment and easier for the world to use.
"Ultimately, we want to remove barriers. Whether someone is developing new diagnostics in Brighton, Birmingham or a low-resource setting on the other side of the world, our vision is that these sensors should be simple to manufacture, affordable to produce and straightforward to adapt for new diseases."
The team's long-term ambition is to create a new generation of diagnostic tools that are not only more affordable and environmentally sustainable – but can also be manufactured almost anywhere in the world.
By removing barriers around cost and production, the researchers hope their work will help bring faster, earlier diagnosis within reach of more patients and healthcare systems worldwide.