November , 2020 | The Health

BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

science of light ( photon ) generation , detection , and manipulation . Its application is wide-ranging in all areas , from everyday life to the most advanced science , such as telecommunications , information processing , agriculture , military as well as medicine .

Photonics in medicine cover areas such as health monitoring , vision correction , endoscopy and even surgery . It is changing the current medical practices for the better .

The innovation of photonic technology in medical devices provides several advantages . One of the main benefits is that it preserves the integrity of the biological cells being examined . Other advantages include providing sensing and imaging at the molecular level and also a collection of multidimensional data for evaluation . According to the MIMOS Berhad ’ s ( MIMOS ) Head of Photonics Technology Lab , Zalhan Md Yusof , technologies based on light are generally non-invasive and non-intrusive , with less effect on the integrity of living subjects . It can also easily be applied on site .

“ When it comes to photonics technology in medical devices , people are looking to go small , go home or go for the most convenient .”

MIMOS has been into biomedical sensor developments for the past 11 years .“ At MIMOS Photonics Technology Lab , we have been doing applied research and development ( R & D ) in biomedical sensors for the past 11 years and it involves R & D activities in medical devices for different areas of applications .”

The scope of R & D includes sensor design and architecture ; optics component and light spectrum identification ; light manipulation to collect signal ; sample characterization ; spectrum processing and algorithm development ; opto-electronics and firmware design and architecture ; and opto-mechanics study .

MIMOS photonics medical device developments

The first revolutionary device developed by MIMOS is the blood glucose

The Mi-Flobo provides multiple vital sign readings .

MIMOS Talk Series .

The GlucoSenz is a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device .

Zalhan Md Yusof

monitoring device . The current practice of monitoring blood glucose requires pricking the patient ’ s finger to withdraw blood and putting it into a strip for testing . Some diabetic patients need to monitor up to three times a day .

“ We came up with a medical device which will make it easy for daily blood glucose monitoring as well as for people who are afraid of the needle .

“ The blood glucose monitoring has three major properties . First , it is nondisruptive as it evaluates the property of the sample without causing any damage to the sample itself .

“ Secondly , it ’ s non-intrusive and painfree , whereby it only requires flashing light to the finger and finally it ’ s non-invasive as it does not require any penetration to the sample by pricking or cutting .”

The second medical device developed in MIMOS , collaborating with UKM Dental Faculty , is the DSPP detection device .

The current practice of DSPP detection uses the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELIZA ) diagnostic tool . The drawbacks of this technique include the requirement of time , expensive equipment and expertise for operations .

“ With the On-site DSPP Detection

Device , we can test on-site , and we are looking into reduced testing time to produce results in less than a minute .”

Another photonics medical device in development is the multi-parameter vital sign screening device .

In the current practice when visiting clinics or hospitals , patients are required to measure their vital signs – pulse rate , oxygen saturation ( SpO2 ), body temperature , respiration rate and blood pressure . Each parameter requires different equipment and devices , which consequently is time-consuming .

“ We are looking into using one single device to measure all these parameters . We call it Single Measurement Multiparameter Vital Sign Screening Device .”

It is a single-point scan at the temporal that measures all the five parameters . It is also Internet-of-Things ( IoT ) enabled , whereby the data can be transferred to cloud and can be monitored via mobile apps .

Smart jewellery accessories

The next device development is the functional near-infrared spectroscopy ( fNIRS ) portable system for Neuroimaging analysis , a quantifying method for mild cognitive impairment ( MCI ). The device is to be used for screening and early detection of MCI and Alzheimer ’ s .

“ In the sports science area , we have the Muscle Oxygen mapping , which is a tool that can monitor muscle oxygenation .”

“ With it , we can also do athlete analysis , which includes monitoring their muscle analysis , heart rate variability , aerobic and anaerobic baseline ,” she said , adding that it is targeted to optimize sports training load and recovery analysis .

Finally , MIMOS is also working on smart jewellery accessories with integrated sensors , which function to measure step counts , calories burned and UV exposure .

“ The smart jewel , designed specifically for women is IoT enabled which allows it to integrate with the healthcare system and mobile apps . It also has an added feature where it suggests a suitable cream SPF level for skin protection based on the UV exposure measured .”

Zalhan made a presentation on ‘ Photonics in Medical Devices : Revolutionizing the Current Practices ’ at the MIMOS Talk Series organized by MIMOS .

The MIMOS Talk Series is available for viewing at MIMOS Malaysia YouTube channel ( https :// www . youtube . com / MIMOSMalaysia ). — The Health