Bioink for Drawing Electrical Circuits on Skin
There’s nothing particularly new about pens with conductive ink for drawing electrical circuits. But applying that idea to, say, detecting glucose levels on skin, has more to do with the chemistry of the bioink than of the pen that draws the circuit. In this piece, researchers at the University of California at San Diego have a bioink they describe as this: “Specific enzymes are used in each type of ink, depending on what chemical it’s designed to detect. Among the other ingredients are polyethylene glycol, which serves as a binder; graphite powder, for electrical conductivity; chitosan, which helps the ink adhere to surfaces; and xylitol, which stabilizes the enzymes. The mixture is reportedly safe for application to humans, and remains viable over long periods in storage prior to use.” Supposedly, the ink in one pen is capable of drawing 500 glucose detecting circuits. MORE
Image Credit: UCSD and GizMag.com