Advanced Sensor Research最新文献

Mechanical energy harvesters have recently emerged as promising options for self-powering sensors and small electronic devices. In this work, aluminum ferrite (AlFeO₃)/PVDF hybrid perovskite electrospun nanofiber-based tribo-enhanced piezoelectric nanogenerators (TPENGs) are developed for energy harvesting. The as-fabricated TPENG achieves an average voltage output of 52.3 V and an average current output of 1.23 µA. Additionally, the power density of the TPENG is calculated to be 0.085 W.m⁻² at an 80 MΩ external resistance load. A 3D-printed device is fabricated, containing nylon fabric (tribo-positive) as a rotor attached to printed fins, while six (AlFeO₃)/PVDF hybrid perovskite electrospun nanofiber piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) wrapped with Kapton tape (tribo-negative) serve as the stator. The three printed fins of the device are moved by a string-based pulley, generating an open circuit voltage of 200 V and a short circuit current of 4.5 µA. The as-fabricated 3D-printed device with TPENGs is used to power small electronics (e.g., LEDs and watch) and an exercise setup, allowing patients to generate power by pulling the attached string, thereby estimating the level of impairment. Integrating energy harvesting into rehabilitation motivates patients to move impaired body parts, enhancing TPENG's application in healthcare as a practical and engaging tool for patient rehabilitation.

Glucose plays critical roles in many human body functions, above all as a source of energy. Abnormal levels of glucose are correlated to different diseases, importantly including diabetes. As such, quantification of glucose levels in body fluids is essential for health monitoring. Blood tests and, more recently, portable interstitial fluid tests, currently represent the benchmarks for glucose detection. Inconvenient invasive methods such as blood tests pose burdens on both patients and the healthcare system. In this review, noninvasive approaches to measure glucose levels in the human body are discussed, utilizing saliva as an alternative to conventional blood samples. Techniques explored and with the potential to enhance accuracy and their associated challenges are discussed.

Ion consumption plays key roles in maintaining bodily homeostasis and health. Here passive wireless, multimineral comonitoring arrays are studied that may potentially be utilized for emerging applications in precision nutrition. RF biosensors targeting select minerals (calcium or magnesium demonstrated herein) are built from integrating ion-selective membranes within a broadside-coupled split ring resonator architecture. RF sensors are typically monitored one at a time and such platforms often are incapable of comeasuring multiple confounding components. To address this challenge, this sensor arrays are further directly integrated alongside a conformal, custom readout coil that optimizes multi-RF sensor readout. Such optimized networks exhibit enhanced signal clarity, further facilitating coextraction of multiple ion components. A simple method of extracting multimineral concentrations from food even despite the imperfect selectivity of divalent ion-selective membranes is introduced. This passive wireless, zero-electronic ion-monitoring platform integrates seamlessly on foodware or packaging, possessing many applications in food measurement.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common nosocomial infection in North America leading to over $12 billion in annual health care costs. UTIs can significantly reduce the quality of life and, in severe cases, result in sepsis and mortality. According to Public Health Ontario, over 80% of long-term care home (LTCH) residents with asymptomatic bacteriuria are treated with antibiotics, however, less than 50% of the antibiotic treatments for UTIs show clinical benefit. Current confirmatory processes for UTIs are primarily dependent on the completion of urine cultures which can result in a delay of more than 24 h. Therefore, there is a need to develop new efficient diagnostic methods to provide timely test results and prevent multidrug resistance. Emerging nanomaterials with special physical and chemical properties have demonstrated great potential in rapid detection of UTI-associated bacteria. This review paper provides a thorough analysis of current diagnostic tools for UTIs. Emerging nanostructured biosensors are reviewed to elucidate the most recent progress in the detection of uropathogens. It is believed that advanced biosensors integrated with nanotechnology will contribute to the timely diagnosis of UTIs and improve the accuracy of the results, which will lead to better treatment of this prevalent clinical condition.

Gas sensors based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) offer advantages such as a broad spectrum of potentially sensitive materials and analytes, easy miniaturization and integration, high sensitivity, and low costs. This paper introduces a novel MEMS sensor platform utilizing a suspended gate field effect transistor (SGFET) transducer. In this approach, the flexible gate membrane of the SGFET is coated with a sensitive material exhibiting responsive swelling behavior. For the proof of concept, kraft lignin hydrogel is chosen as a biorenewable material for humidity sensing. A precision dispensing technique is used to deposit kraft lignin hydrogel on the SGFETs. The sensor measurements yield reversible shifts in the sensor's output current of up to 9% in response to 5000 ppm water vapor. The results successfully demonstrate the feasibility of this new sensing platform.

Interactive Wood

Sensors fabricated directly onto wooden surfaces allow to detect humidity and temperature changes or monitor the curing of varnishes. They enable structural integrity monitoring in construction or turn furniture into interactive touch panels, all in a sustainable fashion. More details can be found in article number 2400010 by Martin Kaltenbrunner and co-workers.

The age of antibiotics, which began with the discovery of penicillin in 1929, marks an important period in medical history, as deadly bacterial infections seemed to be a thing of the past. However, the tide turned as more and more resistance to all existing antibiotics emerged, leading to the still ongoing era of antibiotic resistance. To counter this development and slow it down, it is important to administer the appropriate, effective antibiotics, which requires the clinical transition from empirical to targeted antibiotic therapy. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a key pillar in the implementation of targeted antibiotic therapy. This review provides an overview of the different phenotypic and genotypic AST methods with their advantages and disadvantages, focusing on the turnaround time from patient to result, including preculture. In addition, an outlook on their future potential is given, also considering the impact of artificial intelligence on this field.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems are revolutionizing the real-time tracking of blood glucose levels, a cornerstone in effective diabetes management and optimal glycemic control. Transitioning from the “intermittent readings” offered by traditional Blood Glucose Monitoring (BGM) methods, CGM delivers an “uninterrupted flow” of glucose data, enabling a “more detailed” strategy for meeting treatment goals. Initially, the “uptake of CGM faced hurdles due to doubts about its precision, but continuous advancements in technology have not only resolved these concerns but also confirms CGM as a dependable and impactful instrument in diabetes management”. Concurrently, advancements in insulin pump technology have improved their portability and ease of use, greatly increasing patient adoption. The market reflects a growing demand for such innovative healthcare solutions, driven by an increased awareness of diabetes management and bolstered by supportive healthcare policies. Future prospects for CGM and insulin pump technologies are incredibly promising, offering the potential for highly personalized care and sophisticated treatment strategies. This paper aims to explore how the synergy between ongoing technological developments and evolving market dynamics is set to redefine the diabetes care paradigm, positioning CGM and insulin pumps as essential elements in enhancing the quality of life for individuals with diabetes.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global health concern, impacting over 10% of the world population. Despite advances in home-based treatments, CKD diagnosis and monitoring remain centralized in large laboratories. This work reports on the development of a Graphene-based Lab-On-a-Chip (G-LOC) for the self-testing of multiple renal function biomarkers in capillary blood. G-LOC integrates bioelectronic sensors with a 3D-printed microfluidic system that enables the multiplex quantification of urea, potassium, sodium, and chloride, from one drop of blood. The potentials of three graphene sensors modified with ion-selective membranes and enzymes are simultaneously measured. The analytical performance of the test is evaluated in terms of linearity, accuracy, and coefficient of variability (CV). Accuracy values higher than 98.7%, and CV values lower than 10.8% are obtained for all the biomarkers. Correlation and Bland–Altman plots show good correlation (slopes in the range of 0.94–1.15) and high agreement of G-LOC with a reference method. It is also demonstrated that the test can correctly differentiate biomarker levels normally obtained for healthy people, early-stage CKD, and end-stage CKD. Finally, user experience is studied with a group of untrained volunteers who highlight the simple usability of the test and its suitability for at-home diagnostics.