Urine-Powered Batteries for Biochip Devices

August 17, 2005 – Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore have developed the first urine-activated paper battery for use in biochip devices. This battery could potentially be the perfect power source for cheap, disposable healthcare test-kits for diseases such as diabetes. While researchers around the world race to produce ever smaller and more effective diagnostic biochips that can be mass produced cheaply, they have been unsuccessful in finding a power source that is as small and as cheap to fabricate as the detection technology itself. IBN’s latest invention solves this problem by using the urine test sample as the power source for the testing device. The chemical composition of urine is widely used to test for signs of various diseases and as an indicator of a person’s general state of health.

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