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This study introduces the development of a photothermal-based microfluidic paper analytical device (PT-µPAD) integrated with near-field communication (NFC) technology and smartphone readout for enzyme-free glucose quantification in human samples. With the properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) both as a nanozyme and as a photothermal substrate, there is no need for costly reagents like enzymes or a readout instrumentation for the selective and sensitive detection of glucose. In PT-µPADs, AuNPs are etched by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated from glucose catalysis. Photothermal detection from the plasmonic heating of these AuNPs when illuminated by a 533nm LED light source is achieved by inserting the PT-µPAD sensor into a portable NFC platform suitable for smartphone readout. Temperature variation is directly proportional to the glucose concentration. After optimization, we acquired a linear range between 5.0 and 20.0 µmol L−1 (R2 = 0.9967) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 25.0 nmol L−1 for glucose. Additionally, while our sensor does not utilize any enzyme, it is remarkably selective to glucose with no effects from interferences. Recovery studies in various human control samples indicated a range of 99.73–102.66% with the highest RSD of 3.53%, making it highly accurate and precise. Moreover, our method is more sensitive than other methods relying on conventional µPADs for glucose sensing. By integrating the potential benefits of microfluidics, nanomaterials as nanozymes, and NFC technology for wireless readout, our sensor demonstrates great promise as an accessible, affordable, and shelf-stable device for glucose quantification. Moreover, this concept can be extended to detect other molecules of interest as a point-of-care (POC) diagnostics device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technologies capable of noninvasively sampling different locations in the gut upstream of the colon will enable new insights into the role of organ‐specific microbiomes on human health. Herein, an ingestible pill for the sampling of gut lumen based on one of the earliest hydraulic machines known as an Archimedes screw is reported. The design contains twisted wires as Archimedes screw driven by a motor, wirelessly activated using a magnet. The sampling performance of the screw‐pump pill is characterized using realistic in vitro models and validated in vitro using E. coli expressing different fluorescent proteins. The use of the Archimedes screw enables the pill to sample the dense GI environment. The pill is also tested ex vivo in the pig intestine and in vivo in pigs. Herein, the results show that the bacterial populations recovered from the pill's chamber closely resemble the targeted bacterial population of the microenvironment to which the pill is exposed. Such ingestible devices have the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the spatial diversity of the gut microbiome and its response to medical conditions and treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing techniques for diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders in stomach, small and large intestines, and colon depend on biopsy, endoscopy or colonoscopy methods which are invasive, expensive and time-consuming. In fact, such methods also lack the ability to access large parts of the small intestine. In this article, we demonstrate a smart ingestible biosensing capsule that is capable of monitoring pH activity in small and large intestines. pH is a known biomarker for several gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. Functionalized threads utilized as pH sensing mechanism are integrated with front-end readout electronics and 3D-printed case. This paper demonstrates a modular sensing system design that alleviates the sensor fabrication difficulties as well as the overall assembly of the ingestible capsule.