New chemosensor offers chance for battery free remote lactic testing
24 Jun 2024
Lactic acid testing for healthcare and in professional sports could be rendered cheaper and more effective by the development of new instrumentation.
Teams from the University of Bath and industrial firm Integrated Graphene say their version of a chemosensor can be employed without the need for either reference electrodes or battery power.
The carbon-based sensor detects lactic acid generated by the body as it metabolises carbohydrates or glucose for fuel, within saliva. High levels of the acid are linked with higher risks of falling unconscious or into a coma and organ failure.
Currently, lactic acid levels are mostly detected through an enzyme test. However, this method has a limited shelf life and requires battery powered sensing equipment. The new chemosensor instead measures using a chemical method employing a graphene foam electrode surface, Gii-Sens.
As lactate binds to the sensor, it causes a change in the electrical signal (quantum capacitance) of the carbon foam. Produced by Integrated Graphene, the technology Gii, a pure, porous, 3D carbon nanostructure that avoids the use of unsustainable noble metals such as gold.
In a paper published in ACS Sensors, the scientists say the hope is that the chemosensor could not only provide more sensitive testing but do so in remote locations, such as sports events without the need to access a laboratory.
Additionally, they claim it has the potential to offer lower costs, greater shelf-life, and ease of miniaturisation.
Study lead author Professor Frank Marken said: "Just as your contactless credit card doesn’t need an external power source to work because the proximity of the card reader is enough to power it – in a similar way, this sensor could create a small, measurable electrical current when lactate binds to it.
"This sensor, using Gii-Sens technology, addresses some of the main limitations with non-wireless current lactic acid enzyme tests. It will allow for a more simply operated sensor – opening up the potential for more regular, less invasive and more reliable tracking of lactic acid, even during athlete performance.”
Lactic tests are used in sport to assess athlete response to different intensities and training regimes, as well as in healthcare to track heart conditions like myocardial infarctions, atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerosis.
Integrated Graphene CEO Jean-Christophe Granier commented that the test results using our Gii-Sens electrode opened up the possibility of more accessible and reliable health monitoring in remote environments and he hoped the technology would contribute to further groundbreaking innovations in the point of care diagnostics market.
Pic: Integrated Graphene co-founder and chief scientific officer Dr Marco Caffio
