Humans are veritable chemical factories - we manufacture
thousands of substances and transport them, via our blood, throughout our
bodies. Some of these substances can be used as indicators of our health
status. A team of EPFL scientists has developed a tiny device that can analyze the
concentration of these substances in the blood. Implanted just beneath the
skin, it can detect up to five proteins and organic acids simultaneously, and
then transmit the results directly to a doctor’s computer. This method will
allow a much more personalized level of care than traditional blood tests can
provide. Health care providers will be better able to monitor patients,
particularly those with chronic illness or those undergoing chemotherapy.