Researchers from the University of Alicante and the Technische Universität Dresden have developed a biosensor and an intelligent remote monitoring system that provides accurate, real-time information on hormone levels to patients and professionals. In addition, these data, through automatic processing techniques such as Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning, provide patterns for better treatment of these pathologies.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The present invention offers a holistic solution for the improvement of hormonal treatments of diseases such as infertility, hormonal therapies, cancers of reproductive and sexual organs or cardiovascular diseases. Their features are detailed below:
1) Biosensor based on field effect transistors (FET) with microneedle array for continuous hormone monitoring.
The first novelty of the invention is a portable device equipped with a microneedle array biosensor for the detection of hormones in interstitial fluid. This minimally invasive device will allow continuous monitoring of relevant hormone levels over a certain period of time. It will also help to personalise hormone treatments and therapies based on the data collected by the biosensor.
2) A remote health monitoring system based on Digital Twins.
The second novel component of this invention is the implementation of an intelligent remote health monitoring system (SHMS) based on Digital Twins. This system allows modelling, simulating and providing a fast deployment of different remote health monitoring scenarios based on IoT medical devices such as hormone biosensor or any other health devices such as smartwatch, smartband, etc. The SHMS is based on HL7's FHIR health standard, for the definition of care plans for patients, and rapid integration with healthcare systems. It has a patient app that collects information from the sensors and also provides and collects the patient's treatment activities. Finally, it should be noted that the information collected by the SHMS is offered to doctors through a mobile app, for which an analysis of the data is performed based on artificial intelligence models that allow the detection of patterns in the treatments, and thus help optimise decision-making by doctors.
Figure 1: Elements comprising the invention: Biosensor (1), Microneedle array (4), Skin or tissue (5), Microcontroller (7), Adhesive patch (8), Biological sample control system (9) and Control unit (10).
TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGES AND INNOVATIVE ASPECTS
MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THE TECHNOLOGY
The main advantages of this technology are as follows:
• It is a portable and minimally invasive device, integrated into an adhesive patch. In this way, the person does not have to prick themselves every time they want to take a measurement, thus improving the user's quality of life.
• The remote and continuous monitoring of hormone levels provides accurate information in real time, thus generating alerts to warn the patient and the professional of variations.
• This data collected by the biosensor will allow personalisation of treatments and hormone therapies.
• The semiconductor nanomaterials needed for biosensing can be manufactured in flexible polymer films. This results in lightweight sensors that are more affordable and compatible with the final handheld device.
• The nanoscopic dimension of the semiconductor material allows high sensitivity to chemicals.
• The electronic circuit is powered by a battery or a wireless power supply system.
• The information obtained can be viewed by medical staff remotely and via a mobile device such as a Smartphone or Tablet (control unit).
INNOVATIVE ASPECTS
The invention has several innovative aspects that are worth highlighting:
• The biosensor contains a reservoir with an opening in order to deliver drugs more precisely according to the clinical needs of the patient.
• The use of modelling and simulation techniques such as Digital Twins allows the prediction of a complete scenario of a specific treatment and decision making based on synthetic data from the simulator. In this way, the use of simulation would accelerate the collection of data before the scenario has been implemented, and also allow a first feedback from healthcare experts to the solution.
• The smart microneedle arrays with on-demand sample collection are obtained through 3D printing using a photoresist.
CURRENT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT
It is currently under development in the laboratory but a prototype is planned for the next few months.
COLLABORATION SOUGHT
Companies interested in acquiring this technology for commercial exploitation through patent licensing agreements or for further development of the technology are sought.
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