Used for medical diagnostics, biosensors find space and potential fields of application even in advanced industrial sectors, thanks to the combination with artificial intelligence techniques
I biosensori they are already used today in biomedical diagnosis. However, in perspective, they can allow a further step towards a more personalized and effective medicine. Their use is also valuable in the environmental field, in food control, in drug discovery and in the future, the virtuous combination with artificial intelligence techniques is expected to make a leap in quality. The virtuous combination of AI and IoT finds a useful connection in biosensors and will make it possible to optimize the treatment path, also improving healthcare management and the quality of care. Not only that: it will help reduce public spending on health in the EU, which already amounted to 1,179 billion euros in 2021, equal to 8.1% of GDP. The technological and data driven approach could bring further benefits in improving the quality of care, making costs more efficient.
The concrete and developing potential and opportunities generated by biosensors are generating growing economic interest: according to a recent study by Growth Plus Reports, the world market for biosensors, valued at 25.9 billion dollars in 2022, is expected to reach 53 $.26 billion by 2031.
There are then the most advanced research that sees a decidedly futuristic application of biosensors: the possibility of making robots and machines work through the power of the mind. There is already a project under study, as we will see.
Takeaway
Biosensors: what they are and when they were born
Biosensors are devices that measure biological or chemical reactions, generating signals proportional to the concentration of a substance in the reaction. Biosensors are employed in diagnostic applications, life-sign monitoring, drug discovery and pollutant detection. Furthermore, they can allow the identification of microorganisms that are potential causes of diseases, present in body fluids (blood, urine, saliva, sweat).
Biosensors usually consist of: bioreceptor, transducer, electronics and display. To these is added theanalthat is one substance to be detected by the biosensor (glucose, for example). The bioreceptor it’s a molecule that specifically recognizes the analyte. Examples of bioreceptors consist of enzymes, cells, DNA, and antibodies. The process of generating the signal following the interaction of the bioreceptor with the analyte is called biorecognition. The transducer it is an element that converts one form of energy into another. In a biosensor the role of the transducer is to convert the biorecognition event into a measurable signal, through the signaling process. The part electronics processes the transduced signal and prepares it for display. Processed signals are highlighted by the display.
I biosensori, as a concept, they were born in the first decades of the twentieth century, but we had to wait until 1956 for the first biosensor to detect oxygen, developed by the American biochemist Leland Clark. The same scientist, in the 1960s, was the creator of the first amperometric enzymatic electrode to detect glucose. It was only in the 1970s that the first commercial-scale biosensor was developed.
The function of biosensors, in the medical field…
Biosensors are able to detect biological samples, representing useful tools for understanding the function, composition and structure of biochemical molecules. They are often applied to detect proteins and peptides, thus offering a wide range of biomedical applications. They also find space in forensic medicine. However it is in medical diagnostics that they can make an important contribution. In this regard, one of the potentially most interesting areas of use is represented by the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. Today, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is still a complex task and carried out with expensive techniques. For some time, research has focused attention on the potential use of biosensors as promising alternatives for a simple, rapid and low-cost diagnosis. It is good to clarify this: there is still a lot to work on and study in order to arrive at concrete possibilities. Meanwhile, however, the search continues. Just this year a team of researchers from the University of Bologna has designed and developed a biosensor capable of monitoring the cell adhesion process at the level of individual cells. In the study, published in Nature Communication, we read that:
“The tool could find various applications in the biomedical field, allowing for example to observe the role of single cells in the process of tumor formation or during the wound healing phase”.
… and environmental
In addition to being useful in the medical field, biosensors can be valuable in the environmental field. A recent research carried out by the CNR and the University of Bari has led to the creation of a
electronic biosensor that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of Xylella fastidiosa bacteriaresponsible for the felling and death of an estimated 21 million olive trees in Puglia.
A further valuable ecological function can be performed by biosensors to detect toxic levels of fluoride in water, widely used for agricultural and industrial purposes, but whose effects are harmful to human health. Instead, a team of scientists at Northwestern University has been working on implementing an accurate, inexpensive, and easy-to-use test to detect toxic levels of fluoride in water. Worldwide, tens of millions of people are estimated to live in areas where water supplies are contaminated with toxic levels of fluoride, a colourless, odorless and tasteless substance. The scale of the problem has been difficult to measure due to the high cost or complexity of the test options available.
On the other hand, the new biosensor developed by some Penn State researchers to trace the presence of manganese, a metal ion essential for life. The sensor could have broad applications in biotechnology to advance the understanding of photosynthesis and also in neurobiology. It could even be applied in processes such as the separation of transition metal components (manganese, cobalt and nickel) in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.
The use of artificial intelligence
The utility of biosensors can increase, combined with artificial intelligence techniques. The meeting point are the data: Biosensors, also in the form of wearable devices, measure electrophysiological and electrochemical signals from the body. The electrical activities generated by various biological processes in the body (cardiac, muscular, electrodermal) can be captured by diagnostic devices such as wearable devices, and provide vital information on one’s health conditions. In addition to smartwatches and fitness trackers, thanks to the evolution in electronics it is also possible to count on elements for biosensing, in the form of devices in contact with the skin. Once the data is generated, it must be collected and analyzed. This is where machine learning and deep learning techniques come into play. In the field of human-computer interaction, ML is used to perceive electromyography and ECG signals, DL is applied to electrocardiographic data for data denoising, to detect cardiac abnormalities and even to analyze brain activity.
Despite growing progress, there are still a number of significant hurdles to overcome before AI biosensors for Internet of Things-based applications are commercially mature. In any case, the road has been traced and in the future it will be possible to see AI biosensors used, also thanks to nanotechnologies.
The biosensors of the future
The combined use of artificial intelligence and nanotechnologies in refining biosensors is already being reported today. A recent example is provided by the work of some Monash University scientists who have developed a new device, which looks like a ultra-thin patch, capable of monitoring 11 vital signs. The team has developed a frequency/amplitude-based neural network called Deep Hybrid-Spectro, which can automatically monitor multiple biometrics from a single signal, and in the future will work to program the sensors using even more sophisticated algorithms to personalize them.
As explained by Professor Wenlong Cheng, professor of chemical and biological engineering and coordinator of the team that developed the technology, capable of combining “soft” electronics, AI and nanotechnology, the discovery:
“opens up new perspectives for monitoring vital signs, but also working on the robotics of perception and bridging the interactions between natural and artificial intelligence”.
Even more futuristic is the research conducted by a pool of researchers from the University of Technology Sydney. They developed biosensors capable of operating robots and machines, solely through thought control.
The advanced brain-computer interface was developed in collaboration with the Australian Army and the Defense Innovation Hub.
The biodevices are placed on the scalp, ready to detect brain waves from the visual cortex. The augmented reality device worn by the user, allows to pick up the operator’s brain waves through the biosensor and convey them to a decoder that translates the signal into commands.
The technology was recently demonstrated by the Australian Army, where soldiers operated a quadrupedal robot, using the brain-machine interface. The device enabled hands-free command of the robotic dog with up to 94% accuracy.
In addition to military applications, the technology has significant potential in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace and healthcare.
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