First Blood-Powered Device to Measure Blood Conductivity Developed

TapTechNews June 25 news, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and its medical center have developed the first blood-powered device to measure blood conductivity.

In recent years, cases of metabolic disorders (TapTechNews note: such as diabetes and osteoporosis) have increased rapidly worldwide. The diagnosis of these diseases is usually through blood tests. The traditional method is time-consuming and difficult to monitor in real-life environments in real time.

The research team presented a portable millifluidic nanogenerator chip device that can measure blood at low frequencies. The device uses blood as the conductive substance in its integrated triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy through the triboelectric effect.

In the TENG system, electron transfer and charge separation generate a voltage difference, and drive current when the materials experience relative motion such as compression or sliding. The team analyzed the voltage generated by the device under a predetermined loading condition to determine the conductivity of blood.

Blood conductivity is a valuable indicator for evaluating various health parameters and detecting medical conditions. This conductivity is mainly determined by the concentration of essential electrolytes, especially sodium and chloride ions. These electrolytes are an integral part of many physiological processes and help doctors make diagnoses.

Researchers say that blood is basically a water-based environment with various molecules that conduct or impede the flow of current. For example, a glucose solution has a certain conductivity, and by measuring its impact on conductivity, the condition of diabetes can be judged.