Study of a Self-Powered Lactate and Glucose Biosensor Platform

Abstract

Lactate and Glucose detection and monitoring have shown to have a significant impact on patients’ wellbeing, for allowing the prognosis of worsening patient conditions in hospital settings and assisting on early diagnosis and detection of diabetes mellitus complications. Biological Fuel Cell (BFC) technology allows the transformation from chemical to electrical energy and has recently emerged as a key lithium-ion battery competitor for its sustainability, miniaturization power, and high energy density. Their characteristics make them an interesting alternative to power electronic devices, and their possible application in the development of medical measurement platforms. Point of Care (POC) Biosensor devices powered with BFC present a compelling perspective to medical monitoring and individualized proactive healthcare since these types of devices allow near-patient settings and encourage a more personalized medicine approach to improve quality of life in developed countries. The two main objectives of this project are to develop a biosensing platform architecture for Glucose and Lactate Fuel Cells and the use of a commercially available DC-DC converter to apply said BFC to power the instrumentation and obtain a self-powered application. The proposed dual-layered platform attempts to provide a viable biosensor structure, based on the sensing of current proportional to sample concentration, a later amplification, and an event detection circuit to be used as a comparator. This study and proposal, if developed into reality, would comply with the “ASSURED” criteria for POC tests, which states they must be Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Robust and rapid, Equipment-free, and Deliverable to those who need them.