Health: Diabetes, low cost sensors to measure blood glucose levels

An innovative, low-cost process for large-scale production of a precision sensor patch which measures blood glucose levels of diabetics, also employed in anti-theft devices or to measure pollutants concentration in water or fruit. ENEA patented it optimizing assembly and coupling of nano-sized layers on printed electrodes.

"Printed electrodes are probes a few centimeters long, manufactured using specific inks tailored to scientific needs, employing the same techniques used, for instance, to print t-shirt designs" Walter Vastarella, the ENEA researcher who patented the printing process, explained.

The process is employed to produce hybrid systems, composed of electrochemically active nanoparticles and printed electrodes, combining the high degree of innovation of nanotechnologies with the flexibility of conductive supports.

"In this way we have succeeded in simplifying one of the sensor manufacturing phases so as to make printing cheaper and easier, especially for large numbers, while maintaining the possibility of varying the surface of the electrodes according to production needs", Vastarella concluded.

For more information please contact:

Walter Vastarella, ENEA -  Laboratory of Observations and Measurements  for the Environment and Climate, walter.vastarella@enea.it