Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have created a new biosensor chip that’s just a centimeter long, gets placed under one’s skin, and can communicate the concentration of a number of a number of molecules (glucose, cholesterol, etc.) and certain drugs, to a smartphone.
Specifically, it was researchers at EFPL’s Integrated Systems Laboratory working together with the Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Group who developed this exciting new technology.
“This is the world's first chip capable of measuring not just pH and temperature, but also metabolism-related molecules like glucose, lactate and cholesterol, as well as drugs,” said Dr. Sandro Carrara, who will unveil the chip at the International Symposium on Circuits and Systems.
The one-centimeter device contains three components: a circuit with six sensors, a control unit that analyzes incoming signals, and a radio transmission module. Additionally, it has an induction coil that draws power from an external battery that gets attached to the skin by a patch.
“A simple plaster holds together the battery, the coil and a Bluetooth module used to send the results immediately to a mobile phone,” explained Dr. Carrara.
In terms of testing, the chip was successfully tested in vivo on mice, where researchers were able to constantly monitor glucose and paracetamol levels sans wire tracker. The results were very promising, so much so that the group believes clinical tests on humans could take place in the next three to five years, especially since the procedure is considered minimally invasive (the chip is implanted just under the epidermis).
“Knowing the precise and real-time effect of drugs on the metabolism is one of the keys to the type of personalized, precision medicine that we are striving for,” said Dr. Carrara.
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