Biochip can measure glucose levels in saliva
Engineers at Brown University have designed a biochip that could mean a less invasive method of testing glucose levels for people living with diabetes. A new sensor in development would be able to measure glucose in saliva instead of blood. The new biological device, which utilizes nanotechnology and surface plasmonics, was able to detect glucose levels in water similar to those found in human saliva, which is about 100 times less concentrated than blood. While there are plans to build a sensor specifically tailored to detecting glucose, the technology can also be used to measure other substances. “It could be possible to use these biochips to carry out the screening of multiple biomarkers for individual patients, all at once and in parallel, with unprecedented sensitivity,” explains Domenico Pacifici, assistant professor of engineering at Brown and lead author of a paper published in Nano Letters about the new technology.