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NOVEMBER 2018 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 43 cell with electronics to process physiological and biochemical signals with high sensitivity. The electronics in the sensor use state-of- the-art design and fabrication to consume only a few microwatts of power while being highly sensitive. Coupling these electronics with the biofuel cell makes it more efficient than tra- ditional battery-powered devices, according to Gupta. Since it relies on body glucose, the sen- sor's electronics can be powered indefinitely. For example, the sensor could run on sugar produced just under the skin. Gupta said that unlike commonly used lith- ium-ion batteries, the biofuel cell is also com- pletely non-toxic, making it more promising as an implant for humans. It is also more stable and sensitive than conventional biofuel cells. Further, the researchers say their sensor could be manufactured cheaply through mass pro- duction by leveraging economies of scale. While the sensors have been tested in the lab, the researchers are hoping to test and dem- onstrate them in blood capillaries, which will require regulatory approval. The researchers are also working on further improving and in- creasing the power output of their biofuel cell. The research team also included Yuehe Lin and Annie Du from the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Martin Schia- venato with Walden University (formerly with WSU's College of Nursing). A WSU Grand Challenges seed grant funded the project to develop the sensor. PCB007 Researchers Develop Clear and Biocompatible Lab-on-a-chip Figure 1: Professor Su Ha (L) and Assistant Professor Subhanshu Gupta (R). Figure 2: Researchers examine a biofuel cell. by Allison Mills, Michigan Technological University A team from Michigan Technological Univer- sity studying chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and materials science streamlined the design of microfluidic devices to be see- through to observe their inner workings. Using hair-thin tunnels and equally tiny electrodes, these devices funnel fluids through an electric current to sort cells, find diseases, and run di- agnostic tests. The problem is that biological samples are not inert—they are charged and ready to inter- act. When fluids come into contact with micro- device electrodes, tiny explosions can happen. However, exploding red blood cells caused by an ion imbalance that bursts cell membranes in a process called lysis defeat the point of testing blood sugar levels or types. In other tests, like those for cancer or infectious disease, messing with sample chemistry can lead to false nega- tives or positives. Interactions between sam- ples and electrodes (Faradaic reactions) can be an unwanted side effect in microfluidics.