"Nano-electronic barcoding" opens path to wearable biosensor monitors

A novel approach to lab-on-a-chip diagnostics could lead to health monitoring devices small enough to be worn like a smartwatch, according to researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The technique, a form of bioassay (which works by attaching traceable substances to molecules known as biomarkers, tell-tale proteins and other molecules that indicate the presence of disease), could be used to continuously monitor blood or sweat.

In a paper published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Lab on a Chip, the Rutgers team, led by electrical and computer engineer Mehdi Javanmard, describes how microparticles, engineered to attach to biomarkers such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which often indicates the presence of prostate cancer, can be "barcoded" so that they can be identified by compact electronic equipment. Currently, biomarkers are detected using bulky optical detectors that are too large to be added to wearable or portable devices, Javanmard said.