(Credits: University of Cambridge)
Scientists have invented a tiny $10 sensor that could bring laboratory-grade testing — and needle-free blood glucose monitoring — to everyday wearable devices.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and GlitterinTech, a start-up founded by the same research group, developed a new type of optical spectrometer that pairs exceptional accuracy with a remarkably small size and low cost. Measuring just centimeters across, the device could fit into portable electronics and wearables. In tests, it identified foods, plastics and medicines with 100% accuracy and demonstrated the ability to monitor blood glucose, alcohol and other health markers without invasive procedures.
How the Cambridge $10 Chip Wearable Spectrometer Works
Traditional spectrometers shrink badly: compact versions trade away range, resolution or accuracy. The new device — a convolutional spectrometer — uses the convolution theorem directly on incoming light, arranging optical components with repeating spectral responses in sequence and using fast Fourier transforms to recover the spectrum.
“The key insight was to go back to the mathematics and ask whether there was a fundamentally cleaner way to retrieve spectra,” said lead author Dr. Chunhui Yao. The device, built on a silicon nitride photonic platform with onboard electronics, operates across near-infrared wavelengths (1200–1700 nm) and collects measurements in under a second — with strong noise tolerance and very low computational overhead.
The researchers say the technology could also transform food testing, industrial quality control and environmental monitoring — any field where laboratory precision currently demands bulky equipment.
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Source: ScienceDaily Health — read the full story there.
