Last summer, researchers at Stanford introduced what they called an “integrated microfluidics-waveguide sensor” that could detect and count T-cells in a person’s blood. Their prototype only cost $60, and it is useful in determining if a neonate has a devastating disease, severe combined immune deficiency. Taking the idea of an immune system sensor into another arena, Northeastern University professor Thomas Webster suggests that such sensors ought to be incorporated into orthopedic implants for such matters as the body’s inflammation response to certain materials, the presence of bacteria, and the durability of the device over time. MORE