Nigerian Scientists Secure UK Recognition For Medical Imaging Innovation

A team of Nigerian scientists has earned international recognition after securing intellectual property protection in the United Kingdom (UK)for a medical imaging device designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of optical diagnostic systems.

The innovation, known as the “Self-Calibrating Optical Imaging Photodetector”, was registered by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) under UK Design No. 6482043 on November 18, 2025.

Classified under International Design Class 24 for medical and laboratory equipment, the device integrates sensing, imaging and automatic calibration into a single platform.

The registered design was developed through an interdisciplinary collaboration involving Professor Okechukwu Felix Erondu, Onuh Matthew Ijiga, Professor Terver Sombo and Dr. Peverga Rex Jubu.

The registration marks another milestone for Nigerian-led scientific research and highlights the growing contribution of African researchers to advances in medical technology, optical engineering and laboratory instrumentation.

Optical imaging systems are widely used in hospitals, research laboratories and universities for medical diagnosis and scientific investigations. However, maintaining accurate calibration remains a longstanding challenge, as even minor alignment errors can reduce image quality, compromise measurement accuracy and produce inconsistent results.

Conventional systems often require repeated manual calibration or external alignment equipment, processes that can interrupt workflow and increase the risk of human error.

The newly registered device addresses these limitations through an integrated self-calibration mechanism that enables continuous alignment during operation. A built-in ALIGN indicator allows users to monitor and optimise optical alignment in real time, helping to maintain measurement accuracy without repeated manual adjustments.

The researchers said the integrated design combines an elevated optical sensing unit, a centrally positioned display and a multifunction control console into a single platform, allowing operators to monitor calibration and imaging simultaneously. They noted that the approach reduces optical drift, improves measurement repeatability and enhances operational efficiency in clinical and laboratory settings.

Potential applications include biomedical imaging, fluorescence diagnostics, microscopy, laboratory photometry and other fields requiring high-precision optical measurements.

Leading the project was Professor Erondu, Professor of Radiography at Gregory University, Uturu, and Founder and Chief Medical Director of Image Diagnostics, Port Harcourt. He said the innovation was inspired by recurring challenges encountered 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.

Erondu’s background in computed tomography, ultrasound imaging, radiation protection and medical physics helped shape the device’s clinical functionality.

Another member of the team, Onuh Matthew Ijiga, an Applied Physics researcher at the Department of Physics, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, contributed expertise in semiconductor physics, environmental photonics and optical characterisation.

According to Ijiga, advanced materials science played a key role in improving the photodetector’s sensitivity and signal stability.

“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, and that physics guided the structural orientation of the device,” he said.

Professor Terver Sombo contributed expertise in industrial physics, radiation physics and environmental measurement systems, while Dr. Peverga Rex Jubu, a specialist in materials physics and nano-optoelectronics, applied computational simulations to optimise the instrument’s optical geometry and photon collection efficiency.

The researchers said the innovation extends beyond its structural design by embedding calibration directly into the imaging architecture rather than treating it as an external process. They believe this approach could improve the reliability of imaging systems used in healthcare, scientific research and industrial applications.

The UK registration provides legal protection for the device’s distinctive structural and visual configuration and represents growing international recognition of African scientific innovation.

The development also reflects the increasing role of Nigerian researchers in global scientific research despite challenges related to funding, infrastructure and commercialisation. Experts say interdisciplinary collaborations such as this demonstrate the capacity of African scientists to develop technologies with global relevance and practical applications.

As healthcare institutions and research laboratories continue to demand more automated and high-precision imaging systems, innovations that improve calibration and measurement accuracy are expected to play an increasingly important role.

For the four Nigerian scientists, the UK recognition represents both an important intellectual property milestone and a contribution to ongoing efforts to advance medical imaging and optical instrumentation through home-grown research with international impact.