Metal-Organic-Framework Kinetic Array for Diabetes Detection

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is a global health concern affecting 537 million people and resulting in over 6.7 million deaths yearly. Diagnosis currently relies on blood analysis, which is expensive, time-consuming, and invasive.

Alternative Diagnosis Method

Breath analysis based on the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a promising non-invasive alternative. However, selectively measuring specific VOCs in breath is challenging due to:

• Their low concentrations
• The presence of interfering compounds

Need for Novel Technology

Since current miniature sensors cannot efficiently distinguish between VOCs, there is a need for a novel technology capable of distinguishing a VOC of interest from a complex background.

Project Aim

This project aims to address this challenge by combining a highly promising class of porous crystalline materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with sensor technology.

Sensing Concept

A novel sensing concept based on the kinetic selectivity in the pores of the MOFs will be leveraged to mimic nature’s approach to olfaction and enable selective sensing.

Demonstrator Development

A demonstrator will be established to enable diabetes mellitus diagnosis and prove the breakthrough potential of this disruptive sensing platform.