🔬Smart Contact Lens Measures Serotonin Levels in Tears
Your tears could soon reveal your stress levels
TL;DR
Researchers have developed a contact lens that can measure serotonin levels in tears, potentially offering a non-invasive way to monitor stress and mood. The lens, made with flexible graphene and silver electrodes, can detect serotonin down to 72-trillionths of a mole per liter.
Researchers have created a contact lens that can measure serotonin levels in tears, potentially offering a non-invasive way to monitor stress and mood. This could replace subjective questionnaires and diaries used by doctors to assess stress levels. The lens, made with flexible graphene and silver electrodes, can detect serotonin down to 72-trillionths of a mole per liter and can withstand repeated folding and twisting. It could also help in monitoring mood disorders like depression and schizophrenia. However, further testing is needed before it can be used in medical practice.
Key Points
The contact lens can detect serotonin down to 72-trillionths of a mole per liter.
The lens can withstand more than 28 days of repeated folding and twisting without losing functionality.
Researchers tested the lenses on tears collected from 10 volunteers in lab dishes.
The lens can measure serotonin levels in artificial tears containing 50 and 100 nanomolar levels of the hormone.
A wireless version of the lens with NFC chip and stretchable antenna for battery-free sensing and smartphone-based data transmission has been developed.
Why It Matters
If you're monitoring stress or mood disorders, this contact lens could offer a non-invasive alternative to blood tests or subjective questionnaires. The lens can detect serotonin down to 72-trillionths of a mole per liter, providing a highly sensitive measurement. However, it's still in the research phase and needs further testing before it can be used in medical practice.
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