Sensory Biofuel Cell for Self-Sustained Glucose Sensing in Healthcare Applications for Diabetes Patients

In biosensor design, sensor for blood-glucose-level detection is one of the elementary concepts. Many research groups have reported opto-electro-mechanical and biomimetic techniques for glucose sensing based on nanomaterials. (1) However, the popular commercialized techniques involve drawing blood samples and in-vitro processing. An implantable sensor requires energy source for operation with wire in-out provision for acquiring power and sending signals. Needless to say, the limitation for such a glucose sensor is alimentary rather than elementary. The problem requires innovative design to develop sustainable ensemble of bio-energy harvesting, sensing and telemetry components. The study, reported in this article, is directed towards developing a sensor-fuel cell technology with the potential of miniaturization for implants. The device design is a combination of nano-engineered composites and flexible thin film processing to achieve high density packaging. Of which, the end goal is simultaneous generation-transmission of sensory signals and production of energy.