The World's Smallest PPG Sensor Head

Rhea-AI Summary

TSLC , a SemiLEDs (NASDAQ:LEDS) subsidiary, and SCIVAX have jointly developed the world's smallest PPG (PhotoPlethysmoGraphy) sensor head. The breakthrough device features:

• A mounting area of approximately 1 square millimeter, 1/10th of conventional devices
• Device thickness reduced by half compared to traditional models
• Integrated resin package combining light source and optical sensor

The innovative sensor head enables installation in narrow spaces and supports multiple deployments for precise sensing. Applications include beauty, home healthcare, and nursing sectors. Sample distribution for evaluation will commence in April 2025. The development leverages TSLC's advanced packaging technology and SCIVAX's nano-imprinted lens technology, previously used in their Amtelus® light source device.

Positive

• World's smallest PPG sensor head achievement demonstrates technological leadership
• 90% size reduction enables new market applications
• Cost advantage through integrated resin package design
• Multiple deployment capability expands market opportunities

Negative

• Product revenue impact won't materialize until after April 2025 sample phase

Insights

Technology Expert

SemiLEDs' subsidiary TSLC has achieved a significant technological breakthrough with their new PPG sensor head. The 90% reduction in mounting area (down to approximately 1 square millimeter) and 50% reduction in thickness represents a substantial miniaturization leap in vital sensing technology.

This advancement addresses key limitations in current wearable device designs. The drastically smaller form factor enables integration into previously impossible spaces, potentially catalyzing new device categories beyond traditional smartwatches. The miniaturization achievement combines multiple sophisticated technologies: TSLC's advanced packaging techniques with SCIVAX's nano-imprinted lens technology previously used in their Amtelus® light source.

The integrated resin package design, combining both light source and optical sensor in a single molded unit, delivers meaningful manufacturing cost advantages compared to conventional designs. This could improve margins or enable more competitive pricing strategies.

The ability to deploy these sensors in arrays represents another technical advantage, allowing for more precise measurements through multiple data collection points. This multi-point sensing capability opens possibilities for enhanced accuracy in vital measurements.

For a company with SemiLEDs' market capitalization ($16.5 million), this level of innovation demonstrates impressive R&D capabilities. With evaluation samples beginning distribution this month, we'll soon see if device manufacturers embrace this technology for next-generation wearables.

Healthcare Technology Analyst

The new PPG sensor head from TSLC/SCIVAX could be transformative for healthcare monitoring applications. PPG (photoplethysmography) sensors measure blood volume changes in microvascular tissue, enabling heart rate monitoring and other vital measurements in consumer devices.

The extreme miniaturization (1/10 traditional size) significantly expands potential use cases beyond current wrist-worn applications. The article specifically mentions applications in beauty, home healthcare, and nursing sectors - areas where conventional-sized sensors have proven challenging to implement.

Particularly noteworthy is the array capability, which addresses a key limitation in current PPG technology. Single-point measurements can be prone to motion artifacts and signal quality issues. Multiple sensor arrays can provide redundancy and improved signal processing, potentially enhancing measurement accuracy for critical health parameters.

The cost advantage mentioned could help accelerate adoption in consumer health applications where price sensitivity remains high. Lower-cost, highly-miniaturized PPG sensors could enable integration into everyday objects for passive health monitoring.

While still in evaluation sample stage, this technology represents a meaningful advancement in vital sensing capabilities. For device manufacturers looking to expand health monitoring features or create new form factors, this component could enable differentiated products. The technology's true impact will depend on sensor performance metrics (power consumption, accuracy, etc.) which aren't detailed in the announcement.

HSINCHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TSLC Corporation, a SemiLEDs Corporation wholly owned company (SemiLEDs is a Delaware company listed in the NASDAQ exchange NASDAQ:LEDS) and SCIVAX Corporation (Headquarters: Kawasaki Japan, President: Satoru Tanaka, hereinafter referred to as "SCIVAX") announced that TSLC+SCIVAX have developed the world's smallest PPG (PhotoPlethysmoGraphy)* sensor head. The samples of the PPG sensor head for evaluation will begin in April 2025.

World's smallest PPG Sensor Head

To date, TSLC and SCIVAX have developed the world's smallest light source device, Amtelus®, by combining our partner’s material technology with TSLC’s advanced packaging technology and SCIVAX's optical lens design technology and have begun shipping samples for evaluation. Utilizing the technology cultivated in TSLC’s advanced packaging technology and Scivax’s nano-imprinted lens technology in making Amtelus®, we have succeeded in developing a new product in which the sensor head (signal acquisition part) of PPG sensors, which are used as vital sensors in smartwatches and other devices, is significantly smaller than conventional products.

This device has a mounting area of approximately 1 square millimeter, which is 1/10 of the conventional device, and the device thickness is about half that of conventional devices, achieving a significant reduction in size compared to conventional devices.

The main features of the PPG sensor head are as follows:

• Minimum size
  By minimizing the mounting area of the PPG sensor head, it is possible to mount it in a narrow space, which was difficult to install in the past.
• Expansion of applications through multiple deployments (arrays)
  By using multiple PPG sensor heads, more precise sensing can be achieved. In addition, by using the sensor head as an array, it is possible to measure blood flow even in a narrow space, so it can be used in beauty applications, home healthcare, and even nursing, for example.
• Low cost
  Since it is a resin package in which the light source and optical sensor are integrally molded, it has a significant cost advantage compared to conventional products.

SCIVAX and TSLC are looking to expand into a variety of fields, including the application of this technology to next-generation life science fields such as vital sensors.

About TSLC Corporation

TSLC Corporation, a wholly owned company of SemiLEDs Corporation (Nasdaq:LEDS), is a technology developer/innovator and leading manufacturer of precision Optoelectronic systems, wafer level packaging solutions located in Chu-Nan Site, Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. SemiLEDs Corporation incorporated in Delaware in January 2005.

About SCIVAX Corporation

SCIVAX has been a company specializing in nanoimprinting technology since 2004, offering total solution services that include not only the sales of nanoimprint equipment, but also the microfabrication molding technology for achieving large-area, curved and high-precision molding, as we as optical simulation to mold production, etching and inspection.

* PhotoPlethysmoGraphy (= plethysmography) is a method of measuring pulse waves, which are volumetric changes in blood vessels caused by the beating of the heart, from slight tonal changes that occur in the skin.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250414900809/en/

TSLC Corporation

Frank Wu, Sales@TSLC.com.tw

www.TSLC.com.tw

SCIVAX Corporation

Optical Device Business Div.

Koichi Aida

Tel: +81-44-599-5051

https://www.scivax.com/en/inquiry/

Source: SemiLEDs Corporation

FAQ

What are the key features of LEDS new PPG sensor head?

The new PPG sensor head features a 1 square millimeter mounting area (1/10th of conventional size), half the thickness of traditional devices, and an integrated resin package design offering cost advantages.

When will LEDS begin sample distribution of the new PPG sensor?

Sample distribution for evaluation will begin in April 2025.

What applications are targeted for LEDS new PPG sensor technology?

The sensor targets applications in beauty, home healthcare, nursing, and vital sensing in smartwatches, with potential for multiple sensor array deployments.

How does the new LEDS PPG sensor achieve cost efficiency?

The sensor achieves cost efficiency through its resin package design that integrally molds the light source and optical sensor together.