Vincent Barlier | Pragmatic Semiconductor: How can a single flexible chip turn a simple lateral flow test into a lab-grade diagnostic tool?
14:11.745 - 14:58.765
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Summary of the clip:
How can a single flexible chip turn a simple lateral flow test into a lab-grade diagnostic tool?
The future of diagnostics lies in moving high-sensitivity testing from centralized labs to the point of care, a transition exemplified by this application. The goal is to elevate the reliability of low-cost rapid tests, such as those used during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the gold-standard level of PCR testing. This requires active management of the sample and reaction, a task far beyond the capabilities of a simple passive test strip.
Pragmatic's technology enables this by integrating an entire control and measurement system onto a single, low-cost, flexible chip. This flexible system-on-a-chip (SoC) is designed to drive a microfluidic device, incorporating multiple functions that are essential for a complex biochemical assay. These include integrated heating elements to perform thermal cycling (a key step in PCR), temperature sensors and controllers for precise process management, and analog-to-digital converters to digitize the sensor output for analysis.
The commercial and technical impact is profound. By consolidating all these electronic functions onto one disposable chip, it becomes possible to create a battery-powered, portable diagnostic device that is both highly accurate and affordable enough for single use. This democratizes access to high-quality diagnostics, enabling rapid and reliable testing for a wide range of diseases in clinics, at home, or in remote field settings, completely transforming the point-of-care market.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The challenge of increasing the reliability of rapid diagnostic tests to PCR levels.
* How a single flexible IC can integrate multiple functions: heating, sensing, control, and data conversion.
* The potential to create disposable, low-cost microfluidic devices with lab-grade sensitivity.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip details how a single flexible chip can power a sophisticated point-of-care diagnostic device. By integrating heating, sensing, and control functions, the technology enables disposable tests with the accuracy of a PCR lab.
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#FlexibleSoC, #Microfluidics, #ThermalCycling, #IntegratedSensors, #PrintedElectronics, #PointOfCareDiagnostics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Bringing flexible intelligence to Medicine 3.0
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05:11.005 - 05:41.265
Is it possible to achieve sub-micron feature sizes for flexible electronics without printing?
Is it possible to achieve sub-micron feature sizes for flexible electronics without printing?
Pragmatic Semiconductor made a critical strategic and technical pivot away from its origins in printed electronics. While printing offers advantages for large-area and low-cost deposition, it faces fundamental limitations in resolution and registration accuracy, which caps the achievable transistor density and circuit complexity. Recognizing this ceiling, the company transitioned to a manufacturing methodology that leverages the precision and scalability of conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques, but adapted for flexible substrates.
This shift involved adopting processes like dry deposition (e.g., sputtering, CVD) and photolithography, which are the workhorses of the silicon industry. By doing so, Pragmatic can define features with much higher precision than any printing method. This allows for the creation of complex, multi-layered circuits with significantly smaller transistors and higher interconnect density, moving beyond simple logic into the realm of sophisticated integrated circuits.
The result of this strategic pivot is a powerful and unique technology platform. It enables the fabrication of flexible integrated circuits at a 600-nanometer technology node, a resolution that is orders of magnitude finer than what is achievable with printing. This capability allows Pragmatic to build complex systems with thousands of transistors per square millimeter, unlocking applications that require significant computational power on a flexible, low-cost form factor.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why Pragmatic Semiconductor moved away from traditional printing for IC fabrication.
* The benefits of adopting semiconductor processes like dry deposition and photolithography for flexible electronics.
* How this advanced manufacturing approach enables a high-density 600nm technology node on a flexible substrate.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip explains Pragmatic's crucial manufacturing evolution from printing to using high-resolution semiconductor processes. This strategic shift enables them to achieve a 600nm technology node, dramatically increasing circuit density and capability on flexible substrates.
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#FlexibleIntegratedCircuits, #Photolithography, #DryDeposition, #600nmNode, #FlexibleSemiconductors, #WearableElectronics
13:22.185 - 14:07.205
Can you build a 32-bit microprocessor on a substrate as thin and flexible as plastic wrap?
Can you build a 32-bit microprocessor on a substrate as thin and flexible as plastic wrap?
This segment highlights a landmark achievement in flexible electronics: a fully functional and bendable 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor. This is not a simple logic circuit but a complex system-on-a-chip, representing a significant leap in computational capability for non-silicon platforms. The successful fabrication, detailed in a Nature publication, demonstrates that high-performance computing is no longer exclusively the domain of rigid, brittle silicon wafers.
The technical specifications are impressive, featuring a design with a 56,000 gate count fabricated on a flexible polyimide foil. The key innovation lies in the metal-oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) technology, which maintains stable performance even under mechanical stress. The ability for the microprocessor to function while being actively flexed is a critical enabler for a new class of truly conformable and wearable electronic devices that require on-board processing.
From a market and application perspective, this flexible microprocessor is a game-changer. It allows for the integration of local intelligence directly into disposable or wearable sensors, such as smart wound dressings or advanced skin patches. This enables on-device data processing, classification, and decision-making (edge AI), reducing the need for constant wireless communication, lowering power consumption, and improving the functionality of next-generation medical and IoT devices.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The architecture of the world's first fully flexible 32-bit microprocessor.
* Key performance metrics, including a 56,000 gate count on a flexible foil that functions while being bent.
* How this technology enables on-device AI and data processing for applications like advanced wound healing.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Discover the groundbreaking development of a fully bendable 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor with a 56,000 gate count. This technology enables sophisticated on-device intelligence for a new generation of smart, flexible medical and wearable applications.
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#FlexibleMicroprocessor, #RISCV, #MetalOxideTFT, #EdgeAI, #FlexibleElectronics, #WearableElectronics