Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are developing a groundbreaking device that uses blood to generate electricity and measure its conductivity.
This innovation could revolutionize medical care in remote areas where traditional diagnostic methods are often inaccessible.
The device is based on advancements in nanotechnology and microfluidics, creating a lab-on-a-chip capable of rapid and convenient diagnostics.
Blood conductivity, influenced by electrolytes like sodium and chloride, can provide critical health information.
This method leverages blood’s electrical properties, including glucose’s impact on conductivity, to facilitate immediate diagnoses.
The new portable millifluidic nanogenerator lab-on-a-chip measures blood conductivity at low frequencies using a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG).
TENG converts mechanical energy into electricity through triboelectrification, producing a voltage difference that drives an electric current. This voltage is then used to assess blood conductivity.
The device’s self-powered nature allows for miniaturization, and AI models help estimate conductivity from voltage patterns.
Validation against traditional methods has shown promising results, suggesting this technology could enable field diagnostics and even self-powered in-body monitoring based on blood chemistry.
Source: https://news.engineering.pitt.edu/novel-blood-powered-chip-offers-real-time-health-monitoring/
