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..

Effect of temperature and flow rate on the cell-free area in the microfluidic channel

Blood cell manipulation in microdevices is an interesting task for the separation of particles, by their size, density, or to remove them from the buffer, in which they are suspended, for further analysis, and more. This study highlights the cell-free area (CFA) widening based on experimental results of red blood cell (RBC) flow, suspended in a microfluidic device, while temperature and flow rate incrementally modify RBC response within the microflow. Studies of human red blood cell flow, at a concentration of 20%, suspended in its autologous plasma and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffer, were carried out at a wide flow rate, varying between 10 and 230 µL/min and a temperature range of 23 ◦C to 50 ◦C. The plotted measures show an increment in a CFA near the channel wall due to cell flow inertia after a constricted channel, which becomes more significant as temperature and flow rate increase. The temperature increment widened the CFA up to three times. In comparison, flow rate increment increased the CFA up to 20 times in PBS and 11 times in plasma

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

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

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

Mejora de la implicación del alumnado en “Diseño y síntesis de sistemas digitales” usando e-learning colaborativo, gamificación y aprendizaje basado en problemas

[eng] During the last 3 years, it has been observed that the students do not have a solid base to understand the concepts that are introduced in the subject. In addition, the attitude of the students, in general, is negligence, do not review concepts to prepare the subject, do not prepare laboratory practices and stop attending class. This results in a high dropout rate, fear of doing the subject and discomfort with the teaching staff. To solve this problem, we apply the teaching innovation presented in this article. Such innovation takes advantage of teaching strategies such as gamification or problem-based learning, uses virtual tools to motivate e-learning and collaboration with other students. The results, to date, are satisfactory since they reduce the dropout rate and increase the number of students who assimilate the concepts introduced in the subje[spa] Durante los últimos 3 años se ha observado que el alumnado no tiene una base sólida para entender los conceptos que se introducen en la asignatura. Además, la actitud de los alumnos, en general, es de dejadez, no repasan conceptos para preparar la asignatura, no se preparan las prácticas de laboratorio y dejan de asistir a las clases presenciales. Dando como resultado una alta tasa de abandono, miedo a realizar la asignatura y malestar con el profesorado. Para resolver esta problemática, se aplica la innovación docente presentada en este artículo. Dicha innovación saca beneficio de estratégias docentes como la gamificación o el aprendizaje basado en problemas, usa herramientas virtuales para motivar el “e-learning” y la colaboración con el resto de estudiantes. Los resultados, hasta la fecha, son satisfactorios dado que reducen la tasa de abandono e incrementan el número de estudiantes que asimilan los conceptos introducidos en la asignatura.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el “Programa de Millora I Innovació Docent” (PMID) y el grupo de innovación docente IDEES del Departamento de Ingenieria: Sección Electrónica, ambos perteneces a la Universitat de Barcelon

Millora de la implicació de l’alumne en Disseny i Síntesis de Sistemes Digitals fent ús d’eines d’avaluació continuada i debats en grup

Projecte: 2016PID-UB/013Durante los últimos 3 años se ha observado que el alumnado no tiene una base sólida para entender los conceptos que se introducen en la asignatura. Además, la actitud de los alumnos, en general, es de dejadez, no repasan conceptos para preparar la asignatura, no se preparan las prácticas de laboratorio y dejan de asistir a las clases presenciales. Dando como resultado una alta tasa de abandono, miedo a realizar la asignatura y malestar con el profesorado. Para resolver esta problemática, se aplica la innovación docente presentada en este artículo. Dicha innovación saca beneficio de estrategias docentes como la gamificación o el aprendizaje basado en problemas, usa herramientas virtuales para motivar el “e-learning” y la colaboración con el resto de estudiantes. Los resultados, hasta la fecha, son satisfactorios dado que reducen la tasa de abandono e incrementan el número de estudiantes que asimilan los conceptos introducidos en la asignatura.Programa d'Innovació i Millora de l'Aprenentatge - 2016PID-UB/01

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

High-efficient energy harvesting architecture for self-powered thermal-monitoring wireless sensor node based on a single thermoelectric generator

In recent years, research on transducers and system architectures for self-powered devices has gained attention for their direct impact on the Internet of Things in terms of cost, power consumption, and environmental impact. The concept of a wireless sensor node that uses a single thermoelectric generator as a power source and as a temperature gradient sensor in an efficient and controlled manner is investigated. The purpose of the device is to collect temperature gradient data in data centres to enable the application of thermal-aware server load management algorithms. By using a maximum power point tracking algorithm, the operating point of the thermoelectric generator is kept under control while using its power-temperature transfer function to measure the temperature gradient. In this way, a more accurate measurement of the temperature gradient is achieved while harvesting energy with maximum efficiency. The results show the operation of the system through its different phases as well as demonstrate its ability to efficiently harvest energy from a temperature gradient while measuring it. With this system architecture, temperature gradients can be measured with a maximum error of 0.14 ∘ C and an efficiency of over 92% for values above 13 ∘ C and a single transducer.This work was supported by the research Grant PID2019-110142RB-C22 funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033

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