Light-based sensor painlessly monitors biomarkers

This is the claim of scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) whose new technology measures biomarkers that can indicate health or disease through sweat.

Human sweat contains biomarkers such as glucose, lactate and urea that indicate various health conditions and can be collected in a non-invasive and painless manner, making it suitable for daily monitoring, said the NTU researchers at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE).

People living with diabetes can use an invasive finger prick test to self-monitor blood glucose levels. Patients prick their fingers to collect a small drop of blood on a strip before inserting it into a portable glucose meter for a reading. Alternative sensor-based monitoring devices are expensive, rigid and must be attached to the patient’s skin over prolonged periods.

By encapsulating a microlaser in liquid crystal droplets and embedding the liquid within a soft hydrogel film, the NTU team created a compact and flexible light-based sensing device that provides highly accurate biomarker readings within minutes.