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

Abstract

This work studies the feasibility of using a battery-less Near-Field Communication (NFC) potentiostat for the next generation of electrochemical point-of-care sensors. A design based on an NFC microchip, a microcontroller, and a custom potentiostat based on an operational amplifier is presented. A proof-of-concept prototype has been designed and used to quantify glucose concentration using commercial glucose test strips from chronoamperometry measurements. The device is harvested and the sensor is read using a mobile phone. The prototype uses an antenna loop covered with ferrite sheets to ensure stable operation of the electronics when the mobile phone is used as reader. The use of ferrite reduces the detuning caused by the proximity of the metal parts of the mobile phone. A comparison with a commercial glucometer device is provided. Results obtained using a commercial glucometer and those provided by the proposed potentiostat show an excellent agreement.

Recent Advances in Batteryless NFC Sensors for Chemical Sensing and Biosensing

“…The sensor also allowed potentiometric measurements using an instrumentation amplifier and a switch, and integrated the NFC IC AS2955 from Austria Micro Systems. In [ 76 ], the authors reported a glucose sensor based on commercial glucose strips using a COTS potentiostat consisting of commercial operational amplifiers (see Figure 29 ). Figure 30 compares the current measured at a sampling instant (after 5 s) of an NFC-based prototype powered by energy harvesting and a commercial battery-powered glucometer.…”

“… NFC glucometer prototype. ( a ) Prototype including protection case, ( b ) top view, and ( c ) bottom view [ 76 ]. …”

Point‐of‐Care Testing (POCT) Devices for DNA Detection: A Comprehensive Review

“…[84,[185][186][187] Another interesting example of the portable potentiostat is based on near-field communication (NFC) technology. [188,189] NFC is a wireless communication technology that allows two compatible devices to establish contactless connections. Nowadays, this technology has high potential as a platform for wireless sensing.…”

“…Due to its inexpensive, portable, and real-time monitoring, NFC technology has been progressively implemented as an alternative potentiostat in electrochemical assays, which has great promise in POCT applications. [189,190] Overall, the electrochemical DNA chip is a powerful biosensor that has gained significant attention in the field of DNA diagnostics with high sensitivity and rapidity. With further development, integrating the electrochemical DNA chip and miniaturized potentiostats has further enhanced its portability and real-time analysis performance, making it ideal for POCT applications, particularly in resource-limited settings.…”

“…Due to its inexpensive, portable, and real‐time monitoring, NFC technology has been progressively implemented as an alternative potentiostat in electrochemical assays, which has great promise in POCT applications. [ 189,190 ]…”