A new device for glucose control
In the modern world, the need for portable sensors that monitor the content of certain substances is constantly growing. They are most often required in the medical sector (for example, to determine blood glucose levels), but are also widely used to determine the quality of products or assess the environmental situation. Taking the material and sending it to the laboratory for analysis is usually a long and expensive process. Therefore, portable sensors that quickly and on the spot will show the measurement result are a profitable alternative to "classical" analyses.
Constant monitoring of glucose levels in the blood of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus is an effective way to control the course of the disease, it allows you to take timely measures in case of an increase in glucose. A group of researchers announced the development of a new ultra-thin and flexible glucose sensor that can be embedded in contact lenses or on the back of a wristwatch: it detects blood glucose levels using tears or sweat for analysis.
Glucose meters for home use have long been used by patients around the world. But the need to puncture the skin and use a drop of blood for analysis may stop some patients from taking another measurement. And for diabetes mellitus, vigilant regular glucose monitoring is important. Work on creating a sensor that does not use blood for analysis has been going on for a long time. But the researchers faced a number of problems. The sensitivity of some devices does not allow you to detect changes in sweat or tears, others fail when bending.
Researchers have created a new sensor made of indium oxide nanofibers, glucose oxidase enzyme, natural chitosan film and single-layer carbon nanotubes.
Source: article in ACS.
When the sensor interacts with glucose, a reaction with an enzyme occurs, a chain of transformations is started, the result of which is the generation of an electric pulse. Tests have shown that the sensor is able to detect glucose levels in concentrations from 10 nmol to 1 mmol – this is enough to cover the range of glucose fluctuations in sweat and tears in healthy people and patients with diabetes mellitus.
The sensor film was tested for mechanical resistance: 100 bends did not affect the quality of work.
The researchers write that they can slightly modify the sensor to determine the amount of glucose in food.
Article by Qingzhou Liu et al. Highly Sensitive and Wearable In2O3 Nanoribbon Transistor Biosensors with Integrated On-Chip Gate for Glucose Monitoring in Body Fluids is published in the journal ACS Nano.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on ACS News: New biosensor could monitor glucose levels in tears and sweat.