Abstract
Pacifiers can soothe fussy babies and help keep parents sane. Researchers have turned these baby-care must-haves into high-tech sensors that could track levels of glucose and other chemicals in an infant’s saliva (Anal. Chem. 2019, DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03379). Joseph Wang of the University of California San Diego, Alberto Escarpa of the University of Alcala, and colleagues made the binky biosensor by combining silicone nipples from commercial pacifiers with a custom 3-D printed back end that contains an electrochemical sensor. They inserted a small poly(vinyl chloride) tube containing a series of three polystyrene valves that keep saliva from flowing back into the baby’s mouth. Sucking squeezes the nipple, drawing in saliva and forcing it to the back of the tube, where it contacts a disposable electrode coated with an enzyme that oxidizes glucose. Electronics in the pacifier cap measure changes in current that correlate to glucose levels and transmit the data to
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