A team of Nigerian scientists has secured intellectual property protection in the United Kingdom for a medical imaging device designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of optical diagnostic systems.
The innovation, called the Self-Calibrating Optical Imaging Photodetector, was registered by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) under UK Design No. 6482043 on November 18, 2025. The device combines optical sensing, imaging, and automatic calibration into a single platform to enhance precision in medical and laboratory applications.
The project was developed through a collaboration involving Professor Okechukwu Felix Erondu, Onuh Matthew Ijiga, Professor Terver Sombo, and Dr. Peverga Rex Jubu.
According to the researchers, the device addresses a longstanding challenge in optical imaging by integrating a self-calibration mechanism that continuously maintains alignment during operation, reducing the need for manual adjustments and improving measurement accuracy.
Professor Erondu, who led the project, said the innovation was inspired by recurring challenges in diagnostic imaging.
“My experience in diagnostic imaging has consistently shown that calibration drift and alignment inconsistencies compromise image reliability. This device integrates calibration directly into the imaging structure, reducing operator error and strengthening diagnostic confidence,” he said.
Onuh Matthew Ijiga, an Applied Physics researcher at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, said materials science played a key role in the device’s development.
“Understanding semiconductor band structure and charge-carrier dynamics in nanomaterials informed how we approached optical sensitivity and signal stability. Precision photodetection depends on controlled light-matter interaction,” he said.
The researchers said the device could be applied in biomedical imaging, fluorescence diagnostics, microscopy, laboratory photometry, and other fields requiring high-precision optical measurements.
The UK recognition is expected to strengthen the international profile of Nigerian scientific research and could support future commercialization, collaboration, and adoption of the technology in medical and research institutions worldwide.
