Sensors mounted on teeth track what you eat

Designed by scientists at Tufts University in Massachusetts, a new tooth sensor now tracks your protein, salt and alcohol intake.

Available in a square with a size of only 2x2 mm, this flat sensor is flexible enough to be attached to an irregular surface of the tooth. This sensor has 3 layers, including two square gold rings on the outside and a layer of biological material in the middle. The middle layer is responsible for absorbing the three substances to be monitored from the mouth of the wearer on the teeth.

When exposed to radio frequency signals emitted by mobile devices, the sensor collects radio waves and retransmits them, but in the form of changes depending on which substance and the amount of substance to be monitored absorbed by the biological activity layer in the sensor.

By analyzing the spectrum and intensity of the radio waves returned to the mobile device, the phone-based application can determine what substances are consumed, in quantities. In addition, experts believe that such sensors can be expanded to detect more substances, not only on teeth but also in some other parts.

Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto, author of the research paper, said: "Theoretically, we can change the biological activity class in these sensors to target the detection of other substances - we actually Limited by our creativity, we have expanded the popular RFID (radiofrequency identification) technology into a sensor package that automatically reads and transmits environmental information. , whether it is on teeth, skin, or any other surface '.