Harnessing the power of pee
18 August 2005
Singaporean scientists have created the first pee-powered battery. Could this tiny battery be the perfect power source for home test kits for diabetes and other illnesses? Antenna investigates...
All over the world scientists are beavering away, developing small diagnostic kits that can test for several diseases at once with instant results. But until now, no-one could find a suitable small and cheap power source for the test kits.
Ki Bang Lee has come up with an ingenious solution to the problem, using the fluid being tested - urine - to power the kits.
Wee is a good marker of general health
Diabetes is a manageable disease but can cause problems if left untreated
Image credit: Diabetes UK
Our wee contains chemical clues to our health and wellbeing. For example people who are unaware they are diabetic have high levels of glucose in their urine. |
The battery consists of a layer of paper soaked in copper chloride, sandwiched between strips of magnesium and copper. The sandwich is laminated and about the same size as a credit card, with a little slit for the urine.
When a droplet of urine hits the slit, it soaks into the paper between the metal layers. The metals become charged and an electrical current is generated.
A scanning electron microscope shows the different layers in the battery
Image credit: IBN Singapore
'We are striving to develop cheap, disposable credit-card-sized biochips for disease detection. Our battery can be easily integrated into such devices, supplying electricity upon contact with bio-fluids such as urine.'
Ki Bang Lee, nanotechnology expert, Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore
Ki Bang Lee, nanotechnology expert, Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore
'Our battery can also be activated by bio fluids such as blood. So, our credit card-sized biochip can be used to check glucose levels in the blood. The integrated biochip system will feature a bio fluid-activated battery, sensors for specific disease detection and a display.'
Ki Bang Lee
Ki Bang Lee
Ki Bang Lee, nanotechnology expert, Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore
Image credit: IBN Singapore
Within the next two years these pee-powered test kits could let us monitor our health at home, so we would only seek medical attention when necessary. But some health practitioners have reservations about home testing.
`The only way to diagnose diabetes accurately is by a blood test, which should be carried out by a GP. Home testing kits can be unreliable and can give a false positive or negative result. A false negative can result in a delayed diagnosis during which time long-term complications are developing.'
Zoe Harrison, care advisor, Diabetes UK
Zoe Harrison, care advisor, Diabetes UK
Prototype of the pee-powered battery
Image credit: IBN Singapore
To find out more about nanotechnology health-care solutions click on the link below.