Manufacturing: Screen Printing vs. Laser Ablation

Diabetic test strip manufacturing employs two methods: Screen Printing (Thick Film) and Laser Ablation (Thin Film).

Screen Printing

• Screen printing uses carbon and silver inks.
• It presses these inks through mesh screens.
• This method is the industry standard for low-cost production.
• It offers high throughput and mature technology.
• However, it has limitations: lower resolution, rougher electrode surfaces, and higher variability (CV).
• It requires slightly larger blood samples.

Laser Ablation

• Laser ablation involves sputtering noble metals (Gold, Palladium) onto substrates.
• Lasers etch precise electrode patterns.
• This method enables superior conductivity and sharp edge definition.
• It allows for sub-microliter sample volumes.
• Laser ablation offers higher accuracy and precision.
• However, it requires significantly higher capital investment.

The industry is adopting laser ablation for premium products to meet stricter ISO accuracy standards.