Protein-carbon nanotube and graphene sensors: Single platform integrated micro clinical lab for monitoring blood analytes

Abstract

Health care is poised to revolutionize the present century with scalable technology and the collaborative power of the internet. The quest for greater efficiency in the delivery of health care services is eternal for a country that spends far more on health care that outstrips many other segments of the economy. In several countries, healthcare expenditure will grow at a faster pace than their economic growth (20% of GDP by 2014 in US). So there is a need to establish a robust health information system for effective delivery of health services. This should begin with prevention, and continue with an integrated approach to manage chronic illnesses, treat ongoing healthcare needs, and address life-threatening diseases. In order to achieve this, there will be a compelling need to integrate an ever-increasing body of scientific knowledge of both generalized and individualized practice. Nanotechnology affords cost-effective medical devices that can be used for self monitoring. Automated monitoring devices that can effectively track serum lipids, serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in a single platform will make home-monitoring, outpatient and inpatient monitoring easy.