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| The Chip When Compared to a Penny |
There has been a tiny biochip in
the US developed to be injected into the body to monitor alcohol levels over a
prolonged period, with the aim of supporting patients in substance abuse
programs. The chip has
been developed by engineers at the San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, and
can be implanted just under the surface of the skin and is powered
wirelessly by a wearable device, such as a smartwatch or patch.
“The
ultimate goal of this work is to develop a routine, unobtrusive alcohol and
drug monitoring device for patients in substance abuse treatment programs,”
said Drew Hall, an electrical engineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs
School of Engineering who led the project.
“A tiny injectable sensor—that can be administered The Chipin a clinic without
surgery—could make it easier for patients to follow a prescribed course of
monitoring for extended periods of time.”
The chip itself contains a sensor that is
coated with alcohol oxidase, an enzyme that selectively interacts with alcohol
to generate a byproduct that can be electrochemically detected. The electrical
signals are transmitted wirelessly to a nearby wearable device such as a
smartwatch, which also wirelessly powers the chip.
Breathalyzers
are one of the most common ways to monitor blood alcohol levels, but are
clunky, require patient cooperation and can be inaccurate, Hall noted, while a
blood test is accurate but requires the expertise of a trained professional.
“We
don’t want the chip to have a significant impact on the battery life of the
wearable device. And since we’re implanting this, we don’t want a lot of heat
being locally generated inside the body or a battery that is potentially
toxic,” Hall said. A provisional patent
on the technology has already been filed, and researchers have tested the chip
on pig skin, with plans to extend trials to live animals in the future.
Read More at https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/04/injectable-bio-chip-created-to-monitor-alcohol-use/
