Over the years, fiber optic internet connection is becoming more and more common in our daily lives, being used mainly in faster internet connections in companies and also in domestic use. However, because it is made of a material known as silicon oxide crystal, its application is limited in certain areas, such as medicine. Recently, an invention by researchers from Unicamp – State University of Campinas, developed a material from seaweed.
In practice, the material is synthesized from the agar, one natural gelatin, the novelty brings characteristics that are somehow inherent to organic compositions: it is biodegradable, biocompatible and even edible. In other words, this allows, after implantation in living organisms, probes of the type to be completely absorbed. An example of its use is the transmission of light for phototherapy or optogenetics – such as the stimulation of neurons by light for the analysis of neuronal circuits.
In an interview, Eric Fujiwara, one of the researchers involved in the study, tells details of the feat:
“Our optical fiber consists of an agar cylinder, with an external diameter of 2.5 mm, and a regular internal arrangement of six cylindrical air holes, each 0.5 mm in diameter, surrounding a solid core. The light is confined due to the difference between the refractive indices of the agar core and the air holes.”
Furthermore, the initial expectations of the technology go further. This is because, as it has been tested in different media, such as air, water, ethanol and acetone, it was verified that the optical fiber of seaweed is sensitive to the environment, which proves its operation as a sensor directly. So the detection of microorganisms in specific organs is not far from the practical reality, which is honestly amazing.
Eric further details the following:
“The fact that gelatin undergoes structural changes under variations in temperature, humidity and pH makes the fiber suitable for optical sensing purposes. In this case, the waveguide can be designed as a disposable sample unit, containing the necessary nutrients. The cells immobilized in the device would be optically sensed and the signal analyzed using a camera or spectrometer.”
What did you think of the invention of university students? Leave it in the comments!
With Additional Information: Tecnologic innovation
