Summary of E-Mosquito takes sample of your Blood to Keep You Healthy
The "e-Mosquito" is a wearable, autonomous device developed by the University of Calgary to monitor blood glucose in diabetics. Inspired by mosquitoes, it uses shape memory alloy actuators to painlessly pierce skin and extract capillary blood for testing. This innovation replaces painful fingerpricks with a watch-like system that operates independently at scheduled times, offering a potential path for future genetic and cancer screening at home.
Parts used in the e-Mosquito:
- Battery
- LED display
- Shape memory alloy actuator
- Needle
- Glucose-testing strip
- Disposable bottom cartridge
- Reusable watch-like top
Mosquitoes are some of the most adept bloodsuckers on Earth. With a quick jab, sharp mouthparts plunge into human skin in search of a juicy blood vessel.
It’s no surprise, then, that bioengineers have used the pest as inspiration for a device to periodically and independently sample the blood of individuals with diabetes. Fingerpricking, the most common method used today, can be a tedious and painful process, and many companies have raced to develop alternative approaches, including glucose sensor implants and semi-automated monitoring devices.
Enter the “e-Mosquito.” Since 2007, a team at the University of Calgary in Canada has been developing a fully autonomous, minimally invasive device that is pre-programmed to “bite” one’s skin at various times during the day to monitor blood glucose levels. They recently premiered their latest prototype, a watch-like device that taps into capillaries under the skin and deposits a drip of blood onto a glucose-testing strip.
“The idea is to have periodic, spontaneous and autonomous biting resulting in reliable blood testing,” says Martin Mintchev, senior author on the project. “It’s a very significant step in demonstrating autonomous contact with the capillary.” In addition to monitoring blood glucose, Mintchev imagines the device someday being used to do other blood tests, such as genetic testing or cancer screening, from the comfort of one’s home.
Early versions of the device relied on piezoelectric actuators to pierce the skin with a needle, but those moving parts were expensive and bulky, so the first prototypes were roughly the size of a deck of cards—not something you’d want to wear on your wrist or arm.
Eventually, in collaboration with Orly Yadid-Pecht, an expert in compact microsystems at Calgary, the team switched to a shape memory alloy (SMA)-based actuator. This inexpensive composite metal contracts when heated, then re-forms into its original shape. When equipped with a small needle, the SMA-based actuators produced much greater penetration force into the skin than the bioelectric actuators and allowed the team to significantly miniaturize the device, says Mintchev.
Today, the prototype consists of two parts: a reusable watch-like top consisting of the battery, LED display, actuator and various other components, and a disposable bottom cartridge equipped with needle and test strip. The whole prototype is small enough to sit on the wrist and, more importantly, the penetrating needle reaches a capillary under the skin every single time, says Mintchev.
Read more: E-Mosquito takes sample of your Blood to Keep You Healthy
- What inspired the development of the e-Mosquito?
Bioengineers were inspired by mosquitoes as adept bloodsuckers to create a device for periodic and independent blood sampling. - How does the device extract blood from the skin?
The device uses a small needle attached to a shape memory alloy actuator to tap into capillaries under the skin. - Why did the team switch from piezoelectric actuators to shape memory alloys?
They switched because shape memory alloy actuators are inexpensive, compact, and produce greater penetration force than bulky piezoelectric parts. - Can the device be worn on the wrist?
Yes, the prototype is small enough to sit on the wrist due to the miniaturization achieved with the new actuator technology. - What are the two main components of the current prototype?
The prototype consists of a reusable watch-like top and a disposable bottom cartridge equipped with a needle and test strip. - Does the device rely on manual fingerpricking?
No, the device is fully autonomous and pre-programmed to bite the skin periodically without manual intervention.
