Battery-Less NFC Potentiostat for Electrochemical Point-of-Care Sensors Based on COTS Components

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Mobile Health

Background:

• Point-of-care sensors require portable and cost-effective solutions.
• Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology offers wireless power and data transfer capabilities.
• Traditional potentiostats can be bulky and require external power sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of a battery-less NFC potentiostat for electrochemical sensors.
• To develop and validate a prototype for glucose concentration quantification.
• To assess the performance against commercial glucometer devices.

Main Methods:

• Design of a custom potentiostat using an NFC microchip and operational amplifier.
• Development of a proof-of-concept prototype with an antenna loop and ferrite sheets.
• Quantification of glucose using chronoamperometry with commercial test strips and mobile phone readout.
• Comparison of results with a commercial glucometer.

Main Results:

• A functional battery-less NFC potentiostat prototype was successfully developed.
• The prototype accurately quantified glucose concentration using commercial test strips.
• Stable electronic operation was achieved through ferrite sheet integration, mitigating mobile phone interference.
• Excellent agreement was observed between the proposed device and a commercial glucometer.

Conclusions:

• The battery-less NFC potentiostat is a feasible technology for next-generation electrochemical point-of-care sensors.
• Mobile phone integration enables a low-cost, portable, and user-friendly diagnostic platform.
• This approach holds significant potential for accessible and efficient healthcare monitoring.