The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) within NIH is not only researching sensors and their application to health but at the same time, testing new materials and technologies for building sensors.
For example, NIBIB funding is helping researchers develop a sensor using a thin membrane made from a special kind of plastic. The researchers have loaded the membrane with a compound that creates a voltage difference across the membrane in the presence of OSCS, a potentially deadly substance sometimes found in preparing the blood thinner heparin.
By measuring the voltage, scientists can now identify OSCS-contaminated samples before the heparin is administered to a patient. The reaction between OSCS and the membrane is also reversible so that the sensors can be used repeatedly.
NIBIB is also developing new sensors to promote Point-of-Care (POC) technologies to enable people using sensors to live independently. One research team is working to use real-time sensor data that will be able to recognize changes in a resident’s activity patterns that could signal changes in well-being such as in the case of a fall or disrupted meal schedule.
Other efforts are underway to develop cost-effective POC solutions for detecting a range of medical conditions, including influenza, allergies, and other autoimmune diseases. By integrating compact, wireless sensing technologies into medical devices, it will be possible to establish chronic treatments like long term oxygen therapy. These technologies would also be compatible with mobile devices to enable remote monitoring and assessments to be done in real-time.
Some of the serious challenges to sensor research includes simplifying and automating the preparation of samples from patients to be used at the POC and to overcome the body’s natural rejection response to implantable or minimally invasive sensors.