Leveraging speedy technological advances for human well being is a world development, driving the rise of biomedical engineering analysis.
An interdisciplinary analysis group, together with the School of Engineering and Li Ka Shing School of Drugs at The College of Hong Kong (HKU), Zhejiang College, and Guangzhou Medical College, has developed a steady glucose monitoring (CGM) system that represents a serious development in wearable well being expertise and is about to revolutionize diabetes administration.
Their analysis has been revealed in Science Advances, titled “Coin-sized, totally built-in, and minimally invasive steady glucose monitoring system primarily based on natural electrochemical transistors.”
Led by Professor Shiming Zhang of the Division of Electrical and Digital Engineering at HKU, the brand new CGM system, termed OECT-CGM, incorporates a compact, coin-sized design integrating state-of-the-art biosensors, minimally invasive instruments, and hydrogels.
The core a part of the system is the natural electrochemical transistor (OECT), a biochemical sign amplifier that considerably improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) past conventional electrochemical sensors. This development is vital for offering correct and dependable glucose readings important for efficient diabetes administration.
The OECT-CGM features a microneedle array for subcutaneous glucose sampling with minimal ache and discomfort, addressing one of many main drawbacks of present CGM units, deemed invasive because of the requirement of a needle inserted beneath the pores and skin, which might trigger discomfort.
Moreover, a viscoelastic and diffusive hydrogel stabilizes the interface between the pores and skin and the system, making certain the sensor stays safe and efficient throughout use.
The OECTs within the built-in system obtain record-high sensitivity, a big technical advance for body-centric well being care. The efficiency, in rodent assessments, is similar to business CGMs at present accessible available in the market.
“This totally built-in, wearable system guarantees enhanced anti-noise means, reliability, and wearability in comparison with conventional CGMs,” Professor Zhang mentioned.
The analysis group believes that their work will push the boundaries of present wearable biosensors, significantly in difficult and complicated environments. As an example, situations involving epidermal wearables in environments with important movement artifacts and ambient noises.
Their subsequent steps contain refining the system additional and exploring its potential purposes in numerous well being care settings.
“This groundbreaking work not solely showcases the revolutionary capabilities of HKU group but additionally units a brand new commonplace for wearable well being monitoring expertise. The group’s dedication to bettering the standard of life for people with diabetes is clear on this exceptional achievement,” Professor Zhang added.
Different collaborators of the interdisciplinary analysis embrace Professor Aimin Xu from HKU Li Ka Shing School of Drugs, Professor Jinqiang Wang and Professor Zhen Gu from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Zhejiang College, and Professor Jixiang Zhu from Guangzhou Medical College.
