Laboratory-scale fabrication of Noze Inc.’s high-density silicon MEMS chemical sensor arrays has demonstrated strong potential for breath-based health monitoring. The next step is to develop a controlled, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing process suitable for commercialization and broader deployment.

Montréal-based Noze’s silicon platform uses a 64-element array of independently functionalized sensing elements to detect trace volatile organic and inorganic compounds in breath. It has shown clinically relevant performance in proof-of-concept studies. A version of th​is​​ ​ sensor has been approved by Health Canada and is being used in clinical trials.

The project is focused on two manufacturing steps. First, Noze will collaborate with the Printability and Graphic Communications Institute (ICI) to scale ​the ​synthesis process for a selected subset of nanomaterial sensing inks deposited on silicon substrates to form active thin films. ICI will characterize them to verify physicochemical properties, stability, and specifications.

Second, the team will refine micro-deposition of multiple sensing materials on micromachined silicon devices, setting parameters for droplet volume, placement accuracy, and curing to support uniform thin-film formation. Multi-run testing will assess material consistency, array reproducibility, and device-to-device performance, advancing fabrication from TRL 5 to TRL 7 for validation in relevant manufacturing environments.