Archer Materials Ltd (ASX:AXE) has progressed its graphene-based biosensor technology development by successfully prototyping key device hardware using additive manufacturing (3D printing).
The cartridges were printed using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a robust engineering plastic (e.g. used in manufacturing Lego), in less than 2 hours using ABS costing $0.50, with the cartridges weighing about 13 grams (similar to a AAA battery) and measuring a few centimetres in size (palm size).
Graphene-based biosensor devices 2D printed on a circuit board that has been incorporated into the custom-designed and 3D printed cartridge made from ABS. The cartridge is opened and the interior is shown.
Archer CEO Dr Mohammad Choucair said: “Additive manufacturing allows Archer to make prototypes of key biosensor elements in less than a few hours.
“By using 3D printing we are able to accelerate progress towards commercialising Archer’s innovative graphene-based biosensor technology.
“When the Company undertook the recent Share Purchase Plan the main purpose of the fund raising was to allow the Company to accelerate the pace of development of our key projects and technologies.
“The 3D printing of biosensor components is consistent with that strategy.”
World-class infrastructure, facilities, R&D personnel, and best-in-class 3D and 2D printers are available to Archer through the company’s collaboration with the University of Adelaide, as a founding industry partner of the ARC Research Hub for Graphene Enabled Industry Transformation (ARC Graphene Hub).
An international patent has now been published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to protect and commercialise intellectual property (IP) associated with the graphene-based biosensor materials technology.
Chemistry is key
There are very few materials in existence capable of performing biosensing rapidly and accurately for human health diagnostics.
Archer’s technology development has an ongoing focus on exploiting the advanced chemistry of its new graphene materials to arrive at a minimal viable product capable of rapid multi-disease detection and portable device integration.