Biosensor for detecting glucose in saliva of diabetes patients

Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed an ultra-sensitive transistor-based biosensor which could detect glucose in saliva. The newly invented biosensor is highly sensitive to glucose and capable of measuring the range of glucose in saliva accurately in a convenient, safe and inexpensive manner.

Diabetic patients have to monitor blood glucose regularly and frequently, but conventional method of taking blood sample for measuring glucose level is painful. The challenge to develop biosensor to test glucose in saliva is that the amount of glucose in saliva is too small for detection, and it requires a super sensitive biosensor to perform the job.

The biosensor developed by PolyU researchers is fabricated with a glucose oxidase enzyme layer, which is sensitive to glucose alone and nothing else. Interference from biological agents in saliva is blocked. It is 1000 times sensitive than the conventional device for measuring blood glucose.

The glucose biosensor fabricated with flexible substrates can perform in a variety of curved and moving surfaces, including human skin, smart textile and medical bandage. Thus, it has great potential for development into wearable electronic applications, such as wearable biosensor for analysis of glucose level in sweat during exercise. It can also be mass produced at a low cost of Rs. 30 to Rs. 50 per test chip, which is comparable or even cheaper than the currently available commercialized products.

The research findings on this high performance biosensors for saliva testing was published in the top material journal Advanced Materials.