Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

These high-tech diapers double as urine tests

In the future, some diapers could act like a mini labs to immediately detect potential health problems.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
March 31, 2023
in Future, Health, News
Edited and reviewed by Zoe Gordon
Credit: Pixabay.

Doctors routinely ask for urine tests for a very good reason: they just work. A urine analysis can reveal essential basic information about a patient’s health and can be used to detect a wide range of common conditions and diseases. Even plainly visible changes in color, odor, and the amount of urine can indicate whether something is wrong.

The only problem with urinalysis is that it can take a while for results to come back from the lab. Paper strips can be a useful alternative, but the fast result time typically comes at the cost of low sensitivity.

Researchers in China have something else in mind. They’ve developed a flexible sensor that can provide-real time analyses for incontinent, elderly, or infant patients. One immediate application, for instance, is to incorporate the sensor into diapers, which would then send test results immediately as they get wet via Bluetooth.

Smart diapers

Credit: ACS Applied Nano.

Xi Xie and Hui-Jiun Chen from Sun Yat-Sen University wanted to develop a wearable device that can both accurately and sensitively measure the concentration of several important health markers from urine while providing instantaneous feedback. They settled for a flexible electrode array no larger than a U.S. quarter.

Inside the array, the engineers included five different electrodes, each tuned to detect biomarkers such as potassium ions, sodium ions, hydrogen peroxide, uric acid, and glucose.

These can indicate various conditions and health statuses. Monitoring spikes and dips in urine glucose levels, for example, can be critically important for diabetes patients.

The sensors were connected to a tiny circuit board that has a Bluetooth module to communicate test results to a phone or computer, as well as a low-power lithium-ion battery to provide energy.

Researchers tested their prototype on urine from three volunteers, and they found the readings were up to par with commercial urine test systems commonly found in medical labs.

When they incorporated the flexible sensors into a diaper and dropped some urine on it, finding they could get readable signals for the biomarkers.

As a caveat, the researchers acknowledge that in a real-world setting, such ‘smart’ diapers would become slowly saturated with urine due to prolonged use, so the sensors would probably have to take multiple measurements to record stable readings.

The costs involved with incorporating electronics into disposable diapers may also prove to be prohibitive, although there’s always a market out there for virtually any product. For those who really need near real-time urinalysis, this device could provide a quick and painless alternative to cumbersome trips to the lab.

The findings appeared in the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Past High Tech, Future Low Tech: Mechanical Calculator Gallery
  2. Butterfly wings are alive and double as hi-tech sensors
  3. U.S. Army tests its first high-energy laser weapon
  4. Veteran granted new arm after being fitted with high-tech DARPA prosthetic
  5. Researchers turn CO2 seized from the air into valuable high-tech material
Tags: diaperurine

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW