involves a tedious and costly lab process. Hence the study team was set to find ways for monitoring the natural fluctuations of these hormones in daily life. This would help in deciding
‘New microchip sensor has been developed by a team of scientists that can measure stress hormones in real-time from a drop of blood. This allows the patients to better management of conditions like chronic inflammation and stress at a lower cost.’
Microchip Sensor for Stress
Microchip technology was utilized to create a sensor (thinner than human hair) that can detect biomolecules at low levels. The proficiency of the device was validated on blood samples of 65 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
“Our new sensor produces an accurate and reliable response that allows a continuous readout of cortisol levels for real-time analysis. It has great potential to be adapted to non-invasive cortisol measurement in other fluids such as saliva and urine. The fact that molecular labels are not required eliminates the need for large bulky instruments like optical microscopes and plate readers, making the readout instrumentation something you can measure ultimately in a small pocket-sized box or even fit onto a wristband one day,” says senior author Mehdi Javanmard, an associate professor in Rutgers’ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The study thereby allows the patients to monitor their hormone levels for better management of conditions like chronic inflammation and stress at a lower cost.
Source: Medindia
