Bioelectronics for Amperometric Biosensors

The Discrete-to-Integrated Electronics group (D2In), at the University of Barcelona, in partnership with the Bioelectronics and Nanobioengineering Group (SICBIO), is researching Smart Self-Powered Bio-Electronic Systems. Our interest is focused on the development of custom built electronic solutions for bio-electronics applications, from discrete devices to Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) solutions. The integration of medical and electronic technologies allows the development of biomedical devices able to diagnose and/or treat pathologies by detecting and/or monitoring pathogens, multiple ions, PH changes, and so on. Currently this integration enables advances in various areas such as microelectronics, microfluidics, microsensors and bio-compatible materials which open the door to developing human body Lab-on-a-Chip implantable devices, Pointof- Care in vitro devices, etc. In this chapter the main attention is focused on the design of instrumentation related to amperometrics biosensor: biopotentiostat amplifiers and lock-in amplifiers. A potentiostat is a useful tool in many fields of investigation and industry performing electrochemical trials [1], so the quantity and variety of them is very extensive. Since they can be used in studies and targets as different as the study of chemical metal conversions [2] or carcinogenic cells detection, neuronal activity detection or Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) recognition, their characteristics are very varied..

Aprenentatge basat en projectes en l’àrea d’electrònica per a Enginyers Biomèdics

Projecte: 2014PID-UB/076Actualment els estudiants d’Enginyeria Biomèdica realitzen pràctiques típiques d’electrònica en els seus estudis, similars a les que es realitzen en altres ensenyaments. Segons l’opinió dels estudiants aquest tipus de pràctiques són molt poc motivadores doncs, no veuen l’aplicació directa als seus estudis. La proposta és aplicar la metodologia basada en projectes per a la realització de les pràctiques en el grau d’Enginyeria Biomèdica en les dues assignatures: Electrònica Aplicada i "Biomedical Instruments and Equipment". D’aquesta forma els alumnes hauran de realitzar un projecte d’electrònica aplicat a l’Enginyeria Biomèdica. Els alumnes a més d’estar més motivats adquiriran competències en la realització d’un projecte, és a dir, mitjançant l’aprenentatge basat en projectes els estudiants podran adquirir competències professionals que són difícils de treballar amb metodologies convencionals. Algunes d’aquestes competències són les propostes per la UB com a competències transversals i els seran molt útils en el seu Treball Fi de Grau i en el seu futur desenvolupament professional

Lab1. Introducció al disseny analògic integrat amb l’eina Cadence

Manual de Laboratori. Disseny Analògic Integrat - DAI- Grau Enginyeria Electrònica de Telecomunicació. Material Docent. Lab1. Introducció al disseny analògic integrat amb l’eina Cadence

Lab 3. Miralls de Corrent

Lab 3. Miralls de Corrent. Disseny Analògic Integrat. Grau d'Enginyeria Electrònica de Telecomunicació

Lab2. Caracterització de dispositius MOS

Lab2. Caracterització dedispositius MOS. Disseny Analògic Integrat. Grau Enginyeria Electrònica de Telecomunicació

Lab 5. OTA Miller de dues etapes

Lab 5. OTA Miller de dues etapes. Disseny Analògic Integrat. Grau Enginyeria Electrònica de Telecomunicació

Portable Bio-Devices: Design of Electrochemical Instruments from Miniaturized to Implantable Devices

The integration of biosensors and electronic technologies allows the development of biomedical systems able to diagnose and monitoring pathologies by detecting specific biomarkers. The chapter presents the main modules involved in the development of such devices, generically represented in Fig. 1, and focuses its attention on the essential components of these systems to address questions such as: how is the device powered? How does it communicate the measured data? What kind of sensors could be used?, and What kinds of electronics are used

Bioimpedance Technique for Point-of-Care Devices Relying on Disposable Label-Free Sensors – An Anemia Detection Case

In this chapter, the development of a point-of-care device for bio-medical applications has been discussed. Our main objective is to research new electronic solutions for the detection, quantification, and monitoring of important biological agents in medical environments. The proposed systems and technologies rely on label-free disposable sensors, with portable electronics for user-friendly, low-cost solutions for medical disease diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. In this chapter, we will focus on a specific point-of-care device for cellular analysis, applied to the case of anemia detection and monitoring. The methodology used for anemia monitoring is based on hematocrit measurement directly from whole blood samples by means of impedance analysis. The designed device is based on straightforward electronic standards for low power consumption and low-cost disposable sensor for low volume samples, resulting in a robust and low power consumption device for portable monitoring purposes of anemia. The device has been validated through different whole blood samples to prove the response, effectiveness, and robustness to detect anemia

Teragnosis in vivo: Innovación nanomédica fomentada por la convergencia de tecnologías emergentes

El creciente desarrollo y la mejora en cuanto a innovación de dispositivos basados en la convergencia de tecnologías emergentes ha dado lugar a un uso cada vez mayor de los nanosensores en la comunidad biomédica. Sin embargo, los nanosensores implantables aún tienen que afrontar ciertos retos como la biocompatibilidad y la seguridad de datos. En este artículo se abordan el progreso y los principales desafíos para esta clase de dispositivos nanomédicos y se analizan además las principales aplicaciones médicas con especial énfasis en la teragnosis, término que integra el concepto de diagnosis y terapia en un mismo dispositivo. De este modo, se traza el proceso desde la investigación aplicada hasta la comercialización del producto, que es cuando el retorno social puede ser estimado. Finalmente, se contempla la gestión de la tecnología dentro de un ecosistema de innovación, cuya cadena de valor incluye una integración multidisciplinaria y el flujo del conocimiento

Self-Powered Portable Electronic Reader for Point-of-Care Amperometric Measurements

In this work, we present a self-powered electronic reader (e-reader) for point-of-care diagnostics based on the use of a fuel cell (FC) which works as a power source and as a sensor. The self-powered e-reader extracts the energy from the FC to supply the electronic components concomitantly, while performing the detection of the fuel concentration. The designed electronics rely on straightforward standards for low power consumption, resulting in a robust and low power device without needing an external power source. Besides, the custom electronic instrumentation platform can process and display fuel concentration without requiring any type of laboratory equipment. In this study, we present the electronics system in detail and describe all modules that make up the system. Furthermore, we validate the device's operation with different emulated FCs and sensors presented in the literature. The e-reader can be adjusted to numerous current ranges up to 3 mA, with a 13 nA resolution and an uncertainty of 1.8%. Besides, it only consumes 900 µW in the low power mode of operation, and it can operate with a minimum voltage of 330 mV. This concept can be extended to a wide range of fields, from biomedical to environmental applications