Researchers have succeeded in developing a sugar-activated disease detector

Researchers have arrived at a unique combination of a biofuel cell together with electronic components in order to process physiological and biochemical signals while obtaining high sensitivity

[Translation by Dr. Nachmani Moshe]
Researchers from Washington State University have succeeded in developing a detector powered by biofuel (sugar) and which can be implanted in the body, a detector capable of monitoring the body's biological indicators in order to detect, prevent and diagnose various diseases.
A research team from Washington State University demonstrated a unique combination of a biofuel cell together with electronic components in order to process physiological and biochemical signals while obtaining high sensitivity. The research findings have long been published in the scientific journal IEEE Transactions of Circuits and Systems.
Many common detectors designed to detect diseases exist in the form of watches, which are required to be charged electrically, or in the form of stickers stuck on the skin, when these only measure the superficial level of the skin. The detector developed by the American researchers will also be able to remove the need to prick the finger to test for several diseases, for example diabetes.
"The human body contains a large amount of fuel in body fluids, for example glucose in the blood or lactic acid around the skin and mouth. "The use of a bio-fuel type electric cell that makes use of body fluids opens the door to using the body itself as a possible fuel," explains the lead researcher. The electronic components used in the detector utilize the most advanced design and manufacturing methods in order to consume as little energy as possible of a few microwatts while obtaining a high level of sensitivity. The combination of these electronic components together with the cell based on biodiesel makes them more efficient than devices powered by normal batteries, explains the researcher. Since the detector is based on the glucose present in the blood, the electronic components of the detector can be activated indefinitely. For example, the implanted detector can be activated just under the skin.
In contrast to lithium-ion batteries, the use of which is particularly common, the cell based on biofuel is completely non-toxic, a fact that makes it more suitable for implantation in humans, explains the researcher. The innovative cell is also much more stable and sensitive than existing fuel cells. The researchers say their detector could be a cheap, mass-produced product. Although the detectors were only tested in the laboratory, the researchers hope to test and demonstrate them inside blood tubes, a step that requires approval from the regulatory authorities. The researchers are also working on future improvements to the detector and increasing the electrical output of the fuel cell.
The news about the study

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