Optical Solutions for Personalized Healthcare Monitoring

With the advent of 5G and the internet of things (IoT), the personalized healthcare market is poised to deliver a new generation of wearable and implantable medical products. Many of these potentially life-saving devices rely on compact, low-cost optical solutions and biosensors to ensure their size and portability do not compromise their diagnostic accuracy. 

Thin film optical coatings

The wafer level processing (WLP) pioneered by VIAVI for biomedical is ideally suited for the high-volume miniaturized optics within wearable point-of-care (POC) diagnostics devices like continuous glucose monitoring, pulse oximeters (blood oxygen monitors) and heart rate monitors. Most optical filters can be produced through WLP, including UV-RGB-NIR multiple bandpass filters for multi-function devices. LAS filter technology effectively blocks ambient light for devices like wearable glucose monitors, while induced transmission filters enable signal collection across a 180° field of view to enable POC diagnostics.

Hyperspectral filter array (HFA)

A millimeter-scale array of optical bandpass filters that, when combined with a photodetector array, creates a small, full function spectral sensor. Dozens to hundreds of optical channels can be fabricated using a wafer-scale process that can meet consumer electronics price points.

Light shaping optics

Polymer-on-glass is an enabling optical technology for the personalized healthcare market, with thin glass substrates providing customizable beam shaping capabilities in a compact package. Reactive-ion etching processes ensure these products maintain their durability in a variety of environmental conditions. Precise diffractive optics (laser DOE) and microlens arrays are also enablers in many wearable diagnostic products.

Applications

Applications for personalized healthcare continue to expand, with the wearable medical device market expected to grow significantly . Portable glucose and oxygen monitors are among the products leveraging compact optical elements to reduce office visits and improve patient outcomes. Innovative implantable devices, including retinal prosthesis systems and optical sensors to monitor cancer biomarkers, continue to push the boundaries of miniature optics technology.  

VIAVI product offerings

The optical products and technology developed by VIAVI can be found throughout the laser aesthetics landscape, with reliable and accurate beam control contributing to the safety and efficacy of many leading devices.

• Wafer level patterned coatings allow for customizable and repeatable optical filters to enhance performance while supporting scalability in the personalized healthcare space.
• Dark mirror absorbing coatings prevent stray light from impacting performance or reducing crosstalk by absorbing unwanted light from neighboring channels in multicolor imaging .
• Induced transmission filters and thin film interference filters selectively transmit or block specific light wavelengths while allowing for signal collection over a wide field of view.
• Meta-materials coated wafers ensure precise control of coating thickness and enable ultra-low surface roughness for cost effective portable device applications.