The researchers determined the level of glucose in saliva and tears

    




Researchers at brown University have developed a new biochip, which determines the concentration of glucose in artificial saliva.

The developed technology is an important step towards a device that can determine glucose levels without drawing blood. The new approach combines chemical dyes and plasmonic interferometry. The device is sensitive enough to detect differences in glucose concentration up to several thousand molecules in the selected volume. Associate Professor Domenico Pacifico said: "We have demonstrated the sensitivity needed to measure concentrations of glucose in saliva, which is typically 100 times lower than in blood. This means that we can differentiate glucose from the background components of saliva". The team experienced a different combination of dyes and plasmonic interferometry for the determination of glucose in artificial liquid: mixture of water, salts and enzymes that resembles a real human saliva.

The biochip is made from a square piece of quartz the size in inches, covered with a thin layer of silver. In the layer of the precious metal have been thousands of nanoscale interferometers – slots and grooves. Adjusting the distance between the grooves and the Central slit, the interferometers can be calibrated to detect traces of specific compounds or molecules, with high sensitivity in extremely small volumes. The next step in the job to begin testing the method with a real human saliva. Ultimately, the researchers hope they can develop small, Autonomous devices that could provide diabetics a non-invasive method of monitoring their glucose levels.

Source: nauka24news.ru/