Three students of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (DTE FTUI) designed a sensor to monitor the blood glucose levels of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients in real-time and non-invasively. Utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, Ahmad Daelamy Yusuf, Fathia Maheswari Nugraha, and Yasmina Ashfa Zahidah designed this sensor under the guidance of DTE FTUI Lecturer, Siti Fauziyah Rahman, S.T., M. Eng., Ph.D. The three 2021 students are members of the Biomaddict Team.
Diabetes is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Data from the International Diabetes Federation reveals that 537 million individuals have diabetes globally in 2021, this figure is expected to continue to increase in the future. The mortality rate in patients with diabetes is also very high, around 6.7 million. Of the total people with diabetes worldwide, 10% of them have type-1 diabetes mellitus.
“From this data, it can be seen that the need for a tool that can monitor the blood glucose levels of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients is getting bigger. Our team sees that this monitoring tool requires the help of a biosensor tool that facilitates monitoring in real-time and does not make it difficult for patients. The design of this biosensor is named Wireless Multicolor Patch Biosensor (WMPB),” said Siti Fauziyah.
Some of the advantages of innovation offered by this biosensor tool are non-invasive, meaning that patients will not experience pain, IoT-based and emergency warning, which makes it easier for patients to access, and real-time monitoring, meaning that it can be monitored continuously.
The WMPB biosensor tool is in the form of a sticker that will change colour according to the glucose content detected in the blood. This device is also equipped with Bluetooth so that users can access the glucose level data wirelessly through personal devices in real time and continuously. To connect the device to personal devices, the biosensor is connected to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and can be connected wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.3. The sensor has been verified to produce accurate detection output and is expected to monitor glucose levels of Type-1 Diabetes patients.
“The use of stickers on this sensor is done by attaching the adhesive tape to the skin. There will be reverse iontophoresis, which is the release of molecules from the body to be detected by the sensor. Then, glucose will be picked up by the electrode. The electrode output will be processed by PCB to produce blood glucose levels. The measurement results can be displayed in two interfaces, namely on a smartphone application equipped with medical record and notification features and sensor colour indicators,” Ahmad Daelamy explained.
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., said “In today’s modern era, the use of Internet of Things technology has become widely used because of its high impact. The innovation of FTUI students in designing sensors to facilitate the monitoring of glucose levels in type 1 diabetes patients is very impressive. This solution has great potential to improve patient’s quality of life and make it easier to manage their health conditions. The success of these students reflects FTUI’s passion for producing technological solutions that have a positive impact on the health and welfare of society.”
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Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia