In this paper, we present the design, the implementation and the validation of a novel Internet of Things (IoT) drug monitoring system for the online continuous and simultaneous detection of two main anesthetics, e.g., propofol and paracetamol, in undiluted human serum. The described full system consists of a custom-built electronic Raspberry Pi (RPi) based Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that drives and reads out the signal from an electrochemical sensing platform integrated into a fluidic system. Thanks to the Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fluidic device, the analyzed sample is automatically fluxed on the sensing site. The IoT network is supported by a Cloud system, which allows the doctor to control and share all the patient's data through a dedicated Android application and a smart watch. The validation closes with the first ever demonstration that our system successfully works for the simultaneous monitoring of propofol and paracetamol in undiluted human serum by measuring the concentration trends of these two drugs in fluxing conditions over time.

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are materials characterized as "intelligent" since their rheological properties may be controlled by the excitation of an external magnetic field. The application of the latter brings the fluid from a liquid to a semi-solid state. Due to their properties, these materials are widely used, among others, in biomedical applications. In the present work, multiple MR valves are incorporated as pressure limiters in a smart biomedical insole for diabetic patients. The diabetics are affected by high plantar pressures that cause ulceration and frequently, as a consequence of ulceration, lower extremity amputation. This novel insole aims at the active plantar pressure offloading. Thus, considering the small size of the insole, the number of the valves, as well as the high plantar pressures that reach up to 1 MPa on diabetic feet, a study is performed on optimizing the design of the MR valve, exploiting the Design of Experiments (DoE) techniques. Moreover, a testbench is presented for the examination of pressure self-sensing capabilities of the valves, with a future goal to integrate them in the design optimization and acquire a sensorless system.

Fluidic systems enable actuation in various applications, such as automotive, medical, and industrial robotics. Miniaturized valves constitute a fundamental controlling element of modern fluidic systems, intriguing the interest of many researchers. This letter presents the design, implementation, and experimental validation of a miniaturized magnetorheological valve. The valve is highly efficient due to its capability of sustaining high loads with low energy consumption. This work includes the estimation strategy for the sustained load. Magnetorheological fluid is used both as an actuation fluid and as control medium. The inner iron core of the traditional magnetorheological valve is replaced with an AlNiCo-5 rod. The latter provides the possibility of magnetic energy storage, without continuous power supply. This changes the actuation mechanism from an electromagnet to an electropermanent magnet. The valve's capability to sustain pressure up to 1010 kPa, for a volume of 353 mm 3 , is demonstrated experimentally. The fluid flow rate when the valve is open is 459 mm 3 /s for a pressure difference of 993 kPa. The corresponding power consumption is negligible in steady-state condition, while consuming 15.3 mJ when activated and 6 mJ when deactivated. The experimental results also validate the possible tunability of the pressure sustaining capability of the valve.

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