Scientists from St. Petersburg and Vladivostok have developed a new sensor that can detect dopamine and paracetamol in the body. This was reported by the press service of St. Petersburg State University. The device works with saliva and urine, so taking samples will become easier and painless — there is no longer a need to necessarily donate blood.
Dopamine is a substance that transmits signals in the brain. If its level changes, it may indicate Parkinson's disease or other nervous disorders. Paracetamol is a popular pain reliever, and it is important to control its amount to avoid harming the liver. The new electrode allows you to track both substances simultaneously, which helps doctors to diagnose faster and monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
Specialists from four organizations participated in the creation of the device: SPbSU, the Chemical Pharmaceutical University, the Far Eastern Federal University, and the Institute of Automation of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The manufacturing technology can be described as follows: a thin film of durable plastic (polyimide) is immersed in a solution with gold salt, and then treated with a blue laser. Under the action of the laser, porous graphene with gold inclusions ranging in size from 5 to 30 nanometers is formed on the surface.
The main advantage of the development is high sensitivity. The sensor detects substances even in tiny doses, on the order of nanomoles per liter. Graphene and gold touch each other directly, without unnecessary adhesive layers, which improves current conductivity. Gold particles act as reaction accelerators: they help molecules oxidize faster, which is what the device records. Tests have confirmed that the method works reliably with biological fluids. In the future, such sensors can be integrated into wearable gadgets for constant health monitoring.
