Device to Treat Acne Developed

A smart device for personalized skin care was developed by a group of scientists at the McGill University by using the male diving beetle as inspiration. The tool collects and monitors the body fluids by sticking on the surface of the skin. This helps in accurate diagnosis and proper treatment for skin diseases and conditions like acne. The study was published in the journal Science Advances. The non-invasive and traditional methods for skin care have various limitations like less accuracy, expensive, and hard to use. The chemicals used in the process can also cause skin damage and irritation.

The male diving beetles Hydaticus pacificus are aquatic insects with special adhesive hairs that attach to their mates underwater. The setae present in the forelegs of the male have a special suction cup which provides strong attachment on wet and irregular surfaces. Using this the scientists developed real time monitoring devices that attach to the skin irregular surface.

According to the scientists "Diving beetle–like miniaturized plungers with reversible, rapid biofluid capturing for machine learning–based care of skin disease".

Beetle-Inspired Device To Treat Acne

The device contains micro-sized artificial suction cups that monitor and collect body fluids while attached to the skin surface. It is embedded with fluid capturing hydrogels with cavities that monitor the pH levels. The hydrogel changes color when the pH level changes. A software has also been developed to quantify the pH level. This helps to provide personalized skin treatments and can be used as a biomarker for skin disease.

Source: Medindia