Team:Concordia-Montreal/Hardware
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Integrated Human Practices
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Hardware
The Montreal Concordia University iGEM team developed an electronic device that can perform amperometric measurements, supply iontophoretic current and transmit data to external devices via Bluetooth. The device is designed to be small (36mm x 18 mm x 15mm) and cheap to manufacture (< 30USD). The hardware device immediate goal is to meet the requirements of the Quantifen project. However, the design files of the hardware are made to be open-source. Thus, the iGEM community can benefit from this hardware device. We strongly believe that such a device will be of great use to many as amperometric measurements are usually performed by bulky potentiostats in academic laboratories which are difficult to access by students. The solution we offer is cheap, small and simple to use.
The electronic device can be observed in the figure below. The device is compared to a Canadian quarter to show its very small size. In the figure, two boards are seen. The top one is the top board which houses the command and data module, and the primary power module. The bottom one is the bottom board which houses the sensor module and the secondary power module. In the figure, we can clearly see three connectors facing upward per board. These connectors are the data connector, the main power connector and the ground connector. The latter two connectors are used to distribute power to the whole device. The former connector is used to transmit data between the two boards. A fourth connector of white color on the top board is used to connect an external battery making the design adapted for a great range of batteries. On the bottom board, an additional connecot can be seen. This connector has five pins each connected to one electrode of a five-electrode iontophoretic/amperometric system.
The electronic device is connected to a five electrodes system we named in this project the electrochemistry subsystem. This subsystem includes the five electrodes setup (two for iontophoresis and three for amperometry) and three hydrogel layers. The electrodes are screen-printed using conductive ink. The hydrogels serve as housing for the cellular material and uptake for the sweat.
The design of the electronic device is explained here.
The tests conducted on the electronic device are explained here.
The timeline of the development of the electronic device is shown here.
The model which assisted in the design of the electronic device is discussed here.
The electrochemistry subsystem description and design can be found here
The electrochemistry subsystem experiments are discussed here
The electrochemistry subsystem procedures are detailed here
The models used to design and test the electrochemistry subsystem are demonstrated here
