The pilot addressed two major contributors to the environmental footprint of image guided therapy systems: electricity consumption during operation and the amount of material required to manufacture and install the system.

The imaging system typically consumes around 2 to 4 kW during operation. Conventional and AI-based methods were developed to identify subsystems that are not required at a given moment and can therefore be temporarily switched off without compromising clinical availability. Initial estimates indicate potential electricity savings of up to 11,265 kWh per system per year.

Material efficiency was addressed through reuse of metal transport frames and development of a lighter C-arc architecture. Together, these measures could reduce material use by approximately 860 kg per system. The redesigned architecture also requires around 30% less room space and reduces the structural requirements for installation.

The pilot also developed practical eco-design methods for evaluating disassembly, component recovery and material recyclability during product development. This allows environmental and circularity criteria to be considered together with technical and clinical requirements at an early design stage.

The pilot focused on the printed circuit board assembly, which represents a significant part of the environmental footprint of many personal health products.

The work started with improved methods for quantifying the environmental impact of electronic assemblies and identifying environmental hotspots at component and manufacturing level. Alternative technologies and design solutions were then evaluated, tested in development samples and used as the basis for a new electronic assembly concept integrated into a grooming and beauty device demonstrator.

The technical work was combined with circular design requirements including repairability, durability, recyclability and end-of-life treatment. Preliminary assessment indicates that the redesigned electronic assembly can reduce its carbon footprint compared with the existing solution.

The analysis also showed that some components, particularly integrated circuits, are difficult to redesign but remain important contributors to the total environmental impact. This highlights the importance of considering not only circuit design and material selection, but also the energy sources and manufacturing processes used throughout the electronics supply chain.

The pilot developed a more sustainable wearable system for electroencephalogram monitoring by redesigning both the disposable electrode and the associated sensing electronics.

Several electrode constructions were manufactured and tested, including conventional plastic-based structures and a new paper-based version. The pilot-ready electrode uses paper as the substrate, copper for the conductive structure and a conductive skin adhesive. Together with a paper liner, paper accounts for more than 50% of the electrode materials, reaching the target for increased use of bio-based materials.

The electrode was benchmarked against a commercial reference using an eight-channel brain activity monitoring system. The booklet reports an environmental footprint reduction of under 30% compared with the baseline solution.

A key design decision was to separate reusable electronics from the disposable skin-contact element. The electronic sensing unit can therefore be reused, while only the electrode is discarded after use, reducing electronic waste.

Life cycle assessment was applied during development, together with product-level information for tracking materials and environmental characteristics throughout the lifecycle.

The pilot investigated how the environmental footprint of electrodes used for electrocardiogram and bioimpedance monitoring can be reduced without losing the electrical and mechanical properties required for wearable measurements.

Conventional electrodes typically combine fossil-based PET substrates with silver-based conductive tracks. The project manufactured and evaluated alternative structures using paper, recycled PET and PLA substrates combined with copper and carbon conductive materials.

Multiple generations of single-use and reusable electrode prototypes were produced. The materials were assessed for printability, processability, electrical performance and electromechanical behaviour. Mechanical testing was particularly important because conductive tracks in wearable devices must remain functional during bending, stretching and repeated movement.

The developed electrodes were integrated with wireless electrocardiogram and bioimpedance measurement systems for functional testing. The work showed that replacing PET with paper and silver with copper or carbon offers a clear route towards reducing global warming potential.

The pilot also investigated multi-use electrode concepts to determine when extending product lifetime can provide greater sustainability benefits than further optimization of a disposable electrode.

The pilot developed a disposable point-of-care diagnostic platform for at-home measurement of C-peptide and creatinine in urine. The ratio between these biomarkers can provide information about metabolic function and support monitoring of patients at risk of metabolic disorders.

The system combines the familiar lateral-flow principle with quantitative electrochemical detection. Instead of providing only a visual result, the device uses functionalized electrodes and a highly integrated microchip to measure the biomarker response electronically.

The technical platform combines paper-based fluid handling, screen-printed electrodes, a near-field communication antenna, microchip-based measurement electronics, firmware and smartphone software. Carbon nanotube films were also investigated for electrode functionalization. Paper-based alternatives to conventional nitrocellulose materials were developed for the lateral-flow structure.

Environmental impact was reduced through several design choices: a paper-based main substrate, copper conductive ink instead of silver, a minimal number of electronic components and integration of the main electronic functions into a single system-on-chip assembled directly as an unpackaged bare die. More sustainable supercapacitor materials were investigated for energy storage.

The smartphone acts as the communication and user-interface platform, avoiding the need to manufacture a dedicated electronic reader for each diagnostic system.

The second development under the single-use diagnostic platform focused on continuous monitoring using a smart skin patch and sweat as the measurement medium.

The concept aims to reduce dependence on short-lifetime glucose monitoring systems and repeated single-use test strips. The system separates the reusable electronic functions from a simplified consumable sensing element, reducing the amount of material discarded during continuous monitoring.

In addition to glucose-related monitoring, the platform is designed to collect multiple physiological parameters, including pulse information. Measurement data are combined with digital analysis and a companion application that can provide personalized information to the user.

The use of sweat has an important end-of-life advantage because the used sensing patch is not treated in the same way as medical devices contaminated with hazardous biological samples. This creates greater potential for separation, recycling and reuse of individual system components.

The technical development therefore combines material reduction, simplified manufacturing, reusable electronics, sustainable material selection and digital monitoring within a single system architecture.

The pilot developed a flexible electronic sensing platform for integration into wound dressings. The system is designed to monitor parameters such as temperature, pH and biomarkers related to wound condition and infection without removing the dressing unnecessarily.

The electronic platform provides configurable connection points for different sensor technologies. This makes it possible to compare conventional materials, including silver conductors and standard flexible polymers, with more sustainable alternatives such as carbon inks, paper and bio-based flexible materials.

The architecture separates the disposable sensing layer from a reusable electronic readout unit. The system combines sensors, energy management, wireless communication, data processing and digital analysis. Low-power communication and energy-efficient data processing were investigated to reduce energy consumption during operation.

Printed and flexible electronics allow sensing functions to be integrated directly into conformable dressing structures. Sustainable material alternatives include cellulose-based and biodegradable substrates, carbon-based conductive inks and reduced silver content.

The main sustainability benefit is not limited to the electronics themselves. Continuous wound monitoring can allow dressings to remain in place for longer periods and provide earlier information on potential infection. This can reduce unnecessary dressing changes, material consumption and patient transport while improving comfort and preserving newly formed tissue.

The pilot also addressed reuse of the readout electronics, recycling of non-hazardous parts and defined waste routes for components that cannot be recycled, combining technical sensor development with end-of-life considerations from the beginning.