A newly developed Bluetooth enabled miniaturised potentionstat shows 98% accuracy in testing biochemical processes, with the capability to independently transmit data in real time.
Electrochemical reactions can occur in processes like ethanolic fermentation. This reaction causes sugars to transform into alcohol and carbon dioxide. These reactions are similar to those that occur when humans respire or digest food.
Monitoring metabolic processes is beneficial in testing, studying, and combating disease. Due to low volumes of liquid involved in metabolic processes, miniaturised devices with environmental sensing capabilities could potentially offer better solutions to testing fermentation and other biochemical processes.
98% accuracy for testing biochemical processes
In a newly published paper, featured in Review of Scientific Instruments, researchers introduce the miniaturised potentionstat. This technology controls voltage between electrodes and successfully quantifies molecules using voltammetric and chronoamperometric methods. With an accuracy above 98%, this Bluetooth enabled wireless device is compatible with most three-electrode biosensors and can transmit its measurements for 100 metres.
“One of the novelties of the potentiostat circuit is to be able to process six sensors channels simultaneously without the use of multiplexers, thereby reducing the time spent on each examination,” author Saad Abdullah said.
Testing the miniaturised potentionstat
“This multichannel potentiostat can examine multiple samples of different concentrations simultaneously and transfer the data over Bluetooth in real time,” continued Abdullah.
Scientists tested the miniaturised potentionstat in order to further understand its performance under fixed resistance whilst also quantifying the current detection limits and testing its accuracy and response time. Scientists discovered that the device has a detection limit of 180 nanoamperes and a 2% standard deviation in cyclic voltammetry measurement.
The miniaturised potentionstat proved capable of operating independently and transmitting data wirelessly for 24 hours in an incubator. The wireless system produced a clear data signal, 180 times stronger than the noise in the circuit.
