A team of researchers at the University of California at San Diego's Bioengineering Department (UCSD) introduced an injectable sensor that can help in continuous and long-term monitoring of alcohol use by wirelessly connecting to a wearable device. The discovery could be a breakthrough in the recovery of alcohol dependence.
Research manager Drew Hall said that the device is intended for therapeutic intervention for the treatment of alcoholism and other diseases introduced by him. A chip with a surface area of 1 square millimeter is small enough to be inserted under the skin with a 16 gauge needle. The chip contains a sensor coated with alcohol oxidase, which gives a by-product when interacting with alcohol, which can be detected electrochemically.
The greatest advantage of using a biosensor is that it is long, continuous and reliable. Since it is inside the case, there is no chance that the device will fall and be lost.
The current instruments for controlling alcohol use are blood tests and breathing apparatus, which are periodically used with appropriate equipment. Their limitation is that they provide information for a short time. In addition, these methodologies are used to detect excessive alcohol consumption, while the sensor can detect even smaller passages of alcohol. This can help a person get timely support for alcohol dependence.
Expansion in alcohol control
In addition to biosensors, some non-invasive technologies have also been developed in the field of alcohol control, such as wearable bracelets, patches and tattoos. In 2015, a team at Jacobs’s engineering school at UCSD developed a tattoo to determine the amount of alcohol and exchange information through a smartphone.
However, it can only be used for intermittent tracking. He lacked effectiveness in ensuring continuous monitoring. A number of companies have also developed wearable bracelets, such as Milo, Quantac and BACtrack, through the funding of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
benefits of an injection sensor
One of the characteristic features of the sensor is that it operates at extremely low power. It consumes one millionth of the power needed to make a call from a smartphone. Since the sensor does not have a battery, it is very small in size and does not contain toxic components, it is an easily inserted device.
Interestingly, the team imitated the environment of the human body to test the sensor. Now it works with other sensors that can detect substances such as opioids. The sensor is also likely to help in situations where alcohol control is required by law enforcement or medical and professional personnel. Since this is an invasive device, this requires individual consent. But at the same time, it will eliminate the need to move to a physical location for regular inspections.
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