Researchers from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have designed a wearable and wireless patch for the real-time electrochemical detection of the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive (CRP) protein in sweat. CRP is secreted by the liver and is commonly associated with inflammation. Its presence in the bloodstream strongly indicates an underlying health condition. CRP is much more difficult to detect because it is at a much lower concentration than other biomarkers.

The device integrates iontophoretic sweat extraction, microfluidic channels for sweat sampling and for reagent routing and replacement, and a graphene-based sensor array for quantifying CRP (via an electrode functionalized with anti-CRP capture antibodies-conjugated gold nanoparticles), ionic strength, pH and temperature for the real-time calibration of the CRP sensor.

DARPA, Siemens, the U.S ARMY, Georgia Tech Research Institute and Paragraf - through recently acquired Cardea Bio, now Paragraf San Diego - have presented novel multiomics capabilities, by detection of both protein and RNA biosignals simultaneously on a single graphene-based biosensor.

It was stated that this achievement marks the first public demonstration of this novel methodology for multiomics and that the paper is the first in the world demonstrating the capability to detect both protein and RNA biosignals in a COVID-19 based experiment where both the COVID wild type as well as the Omicron variant were successfully detected.

Earlier this month, Hememics Biotechnologies, developer of a rapid handheld bio testing platform based on unique graphene-based sensors, raised a $2 million seed round to help build its “lab in a hand” tech. Now, Hememics Biotechnologies also entered into a strategic partnership with General Graphene Corporation, the culmination of a four-year collaborative effort to develop a scalable, non-clean-room process for the manufacturing of the company’s 32-plex, graphene biosensor chips. 

Combined with Hememics’ expertise in long-shelf-life detection biology, this partnership aims to revolutionize point-of-care diagnostics tools for pathogens and environmental toxins.

GrapheneDX, General Graphene Corporation and Sapphiros have announce a strategic partnership to industrialize graphene-based biosensors for medical devices used to diagnose a variety of diseases at the point-of-care and in consumer settings.

GrapheneDx is an in vitro diagnostics company focused on improving diagnostic capability at the point-of-care and in consumer settings. The company is an expert in functionalizing graphene to create graphene field effect transistors (GFETs), which are biosensors that can be used to detect disease in biological samples. GrapheneDx's medical devices are designed to provide lab-quality accuracy, deliver results in less than 5 minutes and be simple enough to be performed both at the point of care and by patients without the supervision of a medical professional. The company's GFET platform is versatile, demonstrating performance across a variety of disease states (sexually transmitted infections, respiratory disease, cardiac disease, concussion and others) and sample types (stool, urine, swabs, blood, etc.), with little or no sample preparation. Additionally, the platform is capable of multiplexing numerous analytes concurrently with a single patient sample. GrapheneDx's first tests will be for the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections, including Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, using a noninvasive, easy to collect urine sample.

Researchers from Sichuan University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a graphene-based wearable textile that can convert body movement into useable electricity and even store that energy. The fabric can potentially be used in a wide range of applications, from medical monitoring to assisting athletes and their coaches in tracking their performance, as well as smart displays on clothing.

The accuracy of current wearable electronic devices and various available health monitors remains limited due to the handful of locations on or near the body on which they can be placed, and restricted to a small selection of applications. In the future, if advanced fabrics can be developed, wearable electronic devices integrated into shirts, pants, underwear and hats will be able to track indicators of frailty to assess risk of age-related disease, monitor cortisol levels to track stress levels, or even detect pathogens as part of a global pandemic monitoring network. To take wearable electronics to this next level, monitors will have to be integrated into textiles in a way that is lightweight, unobtrusive and less cumbersome.

Researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) and Chonnam National University Medical School have developed graphene-based conductive hydrogel electrodes that offer convenience of use, controllable degradation, and excellent signal transmission. 

Implantable bioelectrodes are electronic devices that can monitor or stimulate biological activity by transmitting signals to and from living biological systems. Such devices can be fabricated using various materials and techniques. But, because of their intimate contact and interactions with living tissues, selection of the right material for performance and biocompatibility is crucial. Conductible hydrogels are attracting great attention as bioelectrode materials owing to their flexibility, compatibility, and excellent interaction ability. However, the absence of injectability and degradability in conventional conductive hydrogels limits their convenience of use and performance in biological systems. The researchers' new graphene-based conductive hydrogels possess injectability and tunable degradability, furthering the design and development of advanced bioelectrodes. 

Haydale has announced that it has been awarded SMART Flexible Innovation Support ("SMART FIS") from The Welsh Government to accelerate the development of its graphene underfloor heating product and range of biomedical sensor inks.

As part of a new innovation strategy for Wales, aimed at supporting Welsh industry by increased investment in research, development, and innovation, SMART FIS will provide Haydale with funding totaling £182,843 over a two-year period. Part of this funding will enable Haydale to accelerate the development of its prototype graphene underfloor heating ("UFH") towards a market-ready CE product that can be tested in a home environment. It will support continued engagement with partners such as City Energy Network Ltd and Plumbase.

Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a new graphene-enhanced foam material that could significantly reduce health care-related infections caused by implanted medical devices, as well as drastically improve cleanup efforts following environmental disasters, such as oil spills.

The 3D foam is water repellent and exhibits antimicrobial and oil-water separation properties. Its versatility and relatively inexpensive production costs could make it a valuable resource for clinicians and those specializing in environmental remediation.

A team of researchers, led by Northwestern University and the University of Texas at Austin (UT), has developed a graphene-based cardiac implant. Similar in appearance to a temporary tattoo, the new graphene “tattoo” implant is thinner than a single strand of hair yet still functions like a classical pacemaker. But unlike current pacemakers and implanted defibrillators, which require hard, rigid materials that are mechanically incompatible with the body, the new device softly melds to the heart to simultaneously sense and treat irregular heartbeats. The implant is thin and flexible enough to conform to the heart’s delicate contours as well as stretchy and strong enough to withstand the dynamic motions of a beating heart.

After implanting the device into a rat model, the researchers demonstrated that the graphene tattoo could successfully sense irregular heart rhythms and then deliver electrical stimulation through a series of pulses without constraining or altering the heart’s natural motions. The technology also is optically transparent, allowing the researchers to use an external source of optical light to record and stimulate the heart through the device.

Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed graphene-enhanced biosensor technology that enables the operation of devices, such as robots and machines, solely through thought control.

 The technology has significant potential in fields such as defense applications, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and healthcare. The advanced brain-computer interface was developed by Distinguished Professor Chin-Teng Lin and Professor Francesca Iacopi, from the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT, in collaboration with the Australian Army and Defense Innovation Hub.