Brisbane health-tech company WearOptimo has unveiled the initial $7 million phase of its advanced manufacturing facility to produce its microwearable sensor.
The first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, the facility pioneers the use of Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) for health-tech.
“WearOptimo’s vision is to create global healthcare solutions that are accessible and affordable, and this new manufacturing capacity is central to that ambition,” said founder and CEO Professor Mark Kendall.
“The AMF’s [advanced manufacturing facility] use of NIL will allow us to rapidly advance our Microwearable technology towards the release of on-the shelf sensors that are scalable for widespread deployment, at a low cost per unit.
“When operating at full capacity it will allow production of up to 30 million sensors annually, which will be used by everyone from elite athletes to aged-care residents and in industries ranging from the military to resources.”
It’s also technology that bolsters Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity.
WearOptimo said that pre-pandemic, it had been looking to an established manufacturing centre offshore. However, it decided to reshore manufacturing and create a custom-designed production facility in Australia.
Securing almost $1 million from the federal government’s Modernisation Manufacturing Fund, on top of its own capital, WearOptimo bought a NIL system from Europe.
WearOptimo chief technology officer Dr Anthony Brewer said the company’s decision to use NIL took it beyond more common industry usages such as semi-conductors, and optics and displays.
“In identifying and pioneering health-tech as a novel application for Nanoimprint Lithography, we have created a facility that is unique in the southern hemisphere,” said Dr Brewer.
“Our pilot manufacturing line is the only installation of its kind in Australia, and likely the only one in the world dedicated specifically to health-tech.”
It’s a theme of innovation inherent in WearOptimo’s Microwearable technology, which is advancing the next generation of wearable technology.
“Unlike today’s typical wearables, which sit on the surface of the skin, WearOptimo’s Microwearable sticker-like sensors have microelectrodes that reach just a hair’s width into it,” said Professor Kendall.
“This creates access to biosignals that allow for improved monitoring and intervention where time is critical.”
“While the Microwearable sensor platform has applications across many markets, we have chosen first to focus on the critical issue of hydration monitoring,” continued Professor Kendall.
“What a lot of people don’t realise is less-than-optimal hydration can have severe, even fatal, health consequences, but often goes undetected, especially given the crudeness of traditional measurements such as the colour of urine.
“Our Microwearable sensor provides continuous, non-invasive monitoring, allowing for timely intervention. This gives it significant global relevance.”