Annual Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture

Medical analysis on a chip: a revolution happening

The pregnancy test and the glucose meter are classic examples of biosensors that have a clear impact on people’s lives. More recently, everyone has become familiar with COVID-19 self-tests.
The provision of healthcare is changing, with a tendency towards telemedicine whenever possible. But such changes are only truly effective with new biosensors that patients can use in a simple way.
This talk will highlight several examples of biosensors for a range of diseases and conditions. Miniaturisation, together with the use of nanotechnologies and artificial intelligence, makes it possible to have full medical laboratories on a small chip.

Prosthetics and nerve interfaces: the path to natural sensations

Imagine a future where prosthetic limbs can provide sensations almost identical to natural ones. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation is a technique that sends small electrical signals through the skin to stimulate nerves, aiming to restore these natural sensations. This talk will explain the basics of how this technique works, including how electrical signals can activate nerves and the challenges of making these signals precise and comfortable.

Speakers

Prof. Pedro Estrela is Professor of Biosensors and Bioelectronics at the Department of Electronic and Electronic Engineering and Director of the Centre for Bioengineering & Biomedical Technologies (CBio), University of Bath. He has more than 20 years experience on the development of biosensors for rapid medical testing.

Dr Leen Jabban is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electronic and Electronic Engineering, University of Bath. Her research interest is in biomedical engineering, focusing on user-centred design, prostheses, and neural stimulation. 

This is a joint event with the IMechE.