Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have developed a wearable sensor, placed on a tooth, to monitor what patients eat by collecting data on glucose, salt and alcohol intake. A study examining the development of the sensor is set to be published in Advanced Materials.
Monitoring what patients eat in real time is currently limited to patients wearing either a mouthguard or wiring in the mouth, or the frequent replacement of sensors. The Tufts sensor is mounted directly on the surface of a tooth and paired wirelessly with a mobile device to provide researchers with data for clinical studies on the effect certain intakes have on the body.
The sensor measures 2mm x 2mm and can flexibly conform to the shape of the wearer's tooth for a secure bond. It is composed of three layers: two outer layers of square-shaped gold rings and a middle “bioresponsive” layer tasked with absorbing the nutrients or chemicals being consumed. When paired together, the layers collect and transmit waves in the radiofrequency spectrum that are picked up by a mobile device which shows the levels of glucose, salt and alcohol intake.
Additionally, the sensor can change color depending on which nutrient is identified. If the sensor picks up traces of salt or ethanol, the electrical properties shift and cause the sensor to transmit a different frequency of waves at varying intensities. This shift is how nutrient data is detected, measured and transmitted to the mobile device.
"In theory we can modify the bioresponsive layer in these sensors to target other chemicals — we are really limited only by our creativity," said Fiorenzo Omenetto, PhD, corresponding author and the Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering at Tufts. "We have extended common RFID [radiofrequency ID] technology to a sensor package that can dynamically read and transmit information on its environment, whether it is affixed to a tooth, to skin, or any other surface."
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.