How will biosensors change healthcare?

Biosensor technologies could redefine how we assess and treat chronic neurological diseases. They could allow real-time detection of when a pathogen enters the country. At a recent University of Melbourne MedTech webinar, a panel of experts discussed how biosensors may change healthcare – and what is holding these technologies back.

Sensor technologies that allow us measure what happens in a cell could dramatically reframe healthcare.

Instead of relying on symptoms, pathology results or physiological variables to recognise conditions, clinicians could directly interface with cells. Problems might be caught before symptoms appear. Healthcare could shift its focus from treatment and rehabilitation to preventative intervention.

An expert panel chaired by Professor David Nisbet, Director of the Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering, discussed how biosensors will change healthcare and biosecurity.

Watch the webinar

What applications do biosensor technologies have in healthcare and biosecurity?

“I expect that these technologies will redefine how we assess and treat chronic neurological diseases in the long term,” said University of Melbourne’s Professor Mark Cook. Professor Cook is a neurologist recognised internationally for his expertise in epilepsy management.

Sensors that allow neurologists to interface directly with the brain can move them from symptom-based assessments to direct observation of neural activity.

Continuous, dynamic and personalised monitoring of brain patterns is useful for pre-emptive intervention in epilepsy but potentially also in depression, cognitive decline and sleep disturbance.

Macquarie University’s Associate Professor Noushin Nasiri is a nanotechnologist developing smart sensing and wearable health technologies, like a wearable device to protect Australians from skin cancer.

“Nanotechnology is giving us an opportunity to detect very tiny, tiny concentrations of molecules,” Associate Professor Nasiri said.

In biosecurity, biosensors that allow real-time pathogen detection would enable early detection, early warning and rapid response, said Professor Geoff Grossel. Professor Grossel is the Senior Principal Research Scientist at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Like preventative medicine, preventative biosecurity could reduce the economic impact of plant and animal diseases on Australia.

What is holding biosensor technologies back?

Balancing the sensitivity of nanotechnological sensors with the ability to ignore noise in a complex environment like the human body is a huge challenge, Associate Professor Nasiri said. Collaborations with artificial intelligence or machine learning scientists could help.

Fabricating these nanotechnological sensors also leaves very little room for error, creating possible reproducibility issues in mass production.

“It’s quite similar to baking a cupcake in the kitchen. You have all the control over that. But then you have this impression that now you can run an industrial bakery,” Associate Professor Nasiri said.

For patients, detecting preclinical or subthreshold abnormalities – problems that might not be causing them any symptoms – could also complicate their lives.

“We face this problem in genetic testing now. There will have to be solutions at the legislation level for this, because misuse of this information by insurers and so on is obviously a real hazard,” said Professor Cook.

As with many medical technologies, regulation is a hurdle to be overcome in biosensor research translation.

“The TGA and the APVMA are slow and expensive processes,” said Professor Grossel.

Both regulatory bodies oversee rigorous and transparent testing to ensure medical technologies are safe and appropriate for their applications.

To give technologies the best chance to break out from laboratories and into clinics, Professor Grossel advocated a research model where industry partners, end-users and policymakers are all involved from the start.

“Commercialisation and reimbursement have to be considered at the very outset,” agreed Professor Cook.

In this in-parallel research model, staff move across academia and industry. Academics build transferable skills in business and entrepreneurship. This gives technologies the best chance to break out from the laboratory.

“I look at my industry partners as a co-designer of the project,” agreed Associate Professor Nasiri.

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