Bug Detection through Tooth Tattoo
By tony leather, 9th Jun 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutNewsTechnology
This miniature wireless device is designed to be placed upon, and adhere to dental enamel - transmitting real-time update on chemicals in both the breath and saliva of the recipient
Bug Detection through Tooth Tattoo
In a truly staggering medical breakthrough, US Princetown University researchers have developed what they refer to as a tooth tattoo - a device constucted from the incredibly versatile materials of both from silk strands and gold wires - which could, in time, be used to detect life-threatening illnesses.
This miniature wireless device is designed to be placed upon, and adhere to dental enamel - transmitting real-time update on chemicals in both the breath and saliva of the recipient - to monitoring stations. Princetown engineers have already used the device to detect bacteria causing both stomach ulcers and surgical infections, claiming it could also be used to recognise viruses as well.
As yet in the early stages of development, researchers say it could in due course allow medical staff to monitor human health with unprecedented accuracy through application to patient teeth. This was demonstrated clearly when, in the course of a a demonstration, a prototype sensor attached to a cow’s tooth was breathed on by a volunteer, generating an instant response a nearby monitor immediately picked up.
No battery is need, because he antenna coil transmits the signal - so commented principal researcher Michael McAlpine, his team creating the device by bundling graphene - an extremely thin sheet of carbon - with the gold and silk. Nonetheless, despite being complex, the device can be applied to a tooth with water, in the same way a transfer tattoo works.
Currently too big to fit a human tooth, the device needs further work to scale it down, along with fine-tuning to ensure that it can withstand eating and teeth brushing over a long period, but the team is optimistic that it should not be too long before this innovative technology becomes generally available.
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