Diabetic Test Strip Manufacturing: A Comparative Analysis
Diabetic test strip manufacturing employs two primary technologies: Screen-Printing (Thick Film) and Laser Ablation (Thin Film).
Screen-Printing Technology
- Companies like Roche and LifeScan utilize screen-printing, applying carbon and silver inks in layers [^roche_screen_printing].
- This method excels in low-cost, high-volume production.
- However, it struggles with surface roughness and larger sample volumes.
Laser Ablation Technology
- Abbott pioneered laser ablation, using lasers to etch electrode patterns into sputtered gold or palladium [^abbott_laser_ablation].
- This approach offers superior precision, enabling sub-microliter sample volumes (0.3 µL) and complex multi-electrode arrays.
- Although it requires a higher initial investment, laser ablation provides more accurate results.
Modern Manufacturing Advances
Both methods now leverage Roll-to-Roll (R2R) processing to maximize throughput and minimize unit costs.