I acknowledge my ignorance. Until yesterday I did not know what biomimetic sensors were, or what they were for, especially in the field of medicine. But it is also that, if the main objective of these sensors is to collect data, information, and process this information in real time at the high speeds that advanced chips allow today, and also to be able to analyze them with different artificial intelligence techniques ( IA), then we have a perfect combination so that, in health, these advances are more than welcome.
It was the Ramón Areces Foundation and Springer-Nature who in the XII edition of their cycle of conferences and debate in science have analyzed the role that biomimetic sensors are assuming when diagnosing and treating different diseases. And, for this, they have brought together four leading researchers in this field who have exposed the achievements made so far, as well as the goals that are set for the coming years.
These types of devices offer hope for many patients, such as those with diabetes or neurological diseases , and represent a window for the advancement of knowledge of the human body and mind. Engineering, biomedicine and bioethics share laboratories in this new field for experimentation.
Biomimetic interfaces – such as skin sensors or those that can be ingested – have revolutionized the ability to monitor human tissues in a minimally invasive and continuous way. They also offer great opportunities to advance the understanding and treatment of many diseases.
Until now, Western medicine has been based primarily on studies of the sick population (patients) monitored in a hospital setting. With the advent of electronic devices and materials capable of measuring physiological parameters in a continuous and minimally invasive way, new opportunities open up to understand health , in addition to disease, and to study broader and more representative groups of the global population. These tools are inspired by the functioning of biological systems, since they are capable of monitoring physiological patterns and responding precisely to biophysical stimuli.
George Maillaras, Professor of Technology at Prince Philip, the electrical engineering division of the University of Cambridge, presented his results in the development of brain interaction devices designed to pick up weak signals without having to implant them inside the brain. New materials showing mixed electronic / ionic conductivity allow weak signals emanating from neurons to be measured with high fidelity. Thanks to this technology, these novel electrodes can measure signals from individual neurons without penetrating the brain. In addition, the transistors they work on can boost these tiny signals even more, making it possible to detect neural activity more efficiently.
Currently the Maillaras team is manufacturing electronic devices that can change shape to be implanted through a small hole in the spinal cord or in the brain , with a minimally invasive procedure and with the aim that they are then internally deployed and can cover a larger area.
For her part, Ana Maiques, founding partner and executive director of Neuroelectrics, presented at the Areces Foundation the latest devices developed by her company in the field of non-invasive and high-definition cranial stimulation, and their implementation as personalized brain therapy. This neuromodulation therapy is currently being used to diagnose some neuronal diseases such as epilepsy or neuropathic pain. It is also used in cognitive disorders to improve memory in situations of dementia or executive functions in children with attention deficit.
Neurolectrics’ next challenge will be to get its technology to be used massively at home, not only to treat epilepsy, but also for other neurodegenerative diseases. In his opinion, bringing new therapies in a field as complex as the brain is difficult not only because of science, since it is complex to understand the mechanisms of action, the interconnected areas … but also because of the regulatory, reimbursement and market access they imply.
Rabia Tugce, an associate professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Boston University, spoke of ingestible electronic devices as a very promising technological advance for the diagnosis and management of many gastrointestinal diseases. Improvements in ultra-low-power microelectronic design have enabled the gastrointestinal tract to be imaged and measured for gas levels, temperature, and pH . The ability of these devices to record, process and transmit information efficiently and wirelessly makes them an excellent choice for non-invasive and continuous monitoring of gastrointestinal diseases. This biosensor device will make it possible to monitor the level of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and thus predict the appearance of outbreaks of the disease and establish an early treatment.
The next challenge for Rabia and his team is the miniaturization of these ingestible capsules to millimeter scale, as well as the reduction of energy consumption so that they work with autonomous recharge and thus to allow a longer-term use.
Finally, Marc Güell, from the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences at Pompeu Fabra University, explained a new line of research to genetically modify microbiome bacteria in order to detect changes in skin tissue . Taking advantage of the abundance of the bacteria Cutibacterium acnes in human skin and its association with the sebaceous glands, his group is modifying the genes of strains of these bacteria to use them as abnormality sensors. For example, to detect changes in the radiation your skin receives or in its hormone levels. Its objective is to modify these bacteria so that they not only act as sensors, but can also modulate changes in sebaceous secretion or in the immune system.
Developing a series of bacterial sensors that are accurate in detecting changes and, at the same time, very sensitive so that they can detect minimal variations, is the next objective of the group led by Guell. On the other hand, they consider that it is very important to develop these sensors in a way that does not alter either the host or the skin environment.
