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Merging the digital and molecular worlds: from crazy idea to realistic possibility?

Diamond, Dermot orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-2944-4839 (2019) Merging the digital and molecular worlds: from crazy idea to realistic possibility? In: Silk-Lab Lecture and Conversation Series, 21 Aug 2019, Medford, MA, USA.

Abstract
Despite huge efforts and investments in biosensor research and development over several decades, and apparently promising developments [1], implantable devices capable of providing long-term (months, years) continuous monitoring of key molecular disease markers remain far from practical implementation. The reasons for this are many-fold, but the most important relate to fundamental materials challenges associated with biocompatibility, and practical barriers related to checking of system integrity [2]. While the management of many chronic health conditions clearly would improve significantly from advances in continuous long-term monitoring, the management of diabetes is most apparent, due to the scale of the problem, and its huge impact on people, society and our health systems [3],[4]. Today, the state of the art in diabetes patient care is around 10-15 days continuous monitoring via devices that are attached to the body, and monitor glucose in interstitial fluid via a very fine filament that penetrates through the skin to access the sample . Examples include the Abbott Freestyle Libre (https://www.freestylelibre.ie) and the Dexcom G6 Technologies (http://dexcom.eu/). The Abbott sensor allows the data to be transferred to a proprietary hand-held device whereas the Dexcom sensor transmits the data to more conventional platforms (mobile phones, iWatch etc.). Pressure to improve the offering from the increasingly IT literate user community is pushing these platforms towards much closer integration with mainstream IOT technologies. For example, tech-savvy parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes have set up their own technology group, and produced their own information management system called Nightscout (http://www.nightscout.info/). This is now driving technology advances in Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), at least on the informatics side (Tagline “#WeAreNotWaiting”!). These disruptive developments are also going to create a major demand for improved sensor performance, which places an increasing focus on how to dramatically extend the functional lifetime of such biosensors, which in turn will drive new thinking around the fundamental materials challenges of long-term on-body/in-body biosensing and controlled therapeutics (in this case insulin delivery) . In this lecture, I will discuss these and related issues, and speculate on strategies for delivering longer-term sensing and control functions based on the inherent behaviour of materials, rather than conventional approaches. I will also discuss the need to review the sensor related aspects of papers much more rigorously, in order to manage the longer-term negative impact of unrealistic media interpretations.
Metadata
Item Type:Conference or Workshop Item (Invited Talk)
Event Type:Seminar
Refereed:No
Subjects:Biological Sciences > Biosensors
Biological Sciences > Microfluidics
Engineering > Materials
Physical Sciences > Analytical chemistry
Physical Sciences > Electrochemistry
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Chemical Sciences
Research Initiatives and Centres > National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR)
Research Initiatives and Centres > INSIGHT Centre for Data Analytics
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Science Foundation Ireland, Horizon 2020 Holifab Project, Enterprise Ireland
ID Code:23678
Deposited On:16 Sep 2019 11:15 by Dermot Diamond . Last Modified 16 Sep 2019 11:15
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