Developments in Stress Monitoring with Dental Floss

Engineers have come up with an interesting dental floss device capable of detecting cortisol—a hormone tied to stress—using saliva. This offers a painless and real-time way to monitor stress levels. The device employs electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers (eMIPs), which function like custom molds designed to identify specific molecules.

Its accuracy rivals existing biosensors, suggesting that integrating stress tracking into daily life could become feasible. The researchers also have plans to modify the system for other health markers found in saliva, which might significantly change how personal health is monitored across various conditions.

Important Points:

• Stress Detection: The floss sensor captures cortisol from saliva through advanced polymer molds.
• Multi-Marker Potential: There’s potential for adapting the device to identify other biomarkers, such as glucose or estrogen.
• Home Use: It’s designed for non-professionals, making daily stress monitoring accessible and noninvasive.

Chronic stress is known to lead to issues like high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and even mental health challenges. Unfortunately, many of the current stress monitoring tools can be inaccurate or expensive, often relying on self-reporting and clinical evaluations.

A team at Tufts University, including a professor named Sameer Sonkusale, has developed a simple way to accurately measure cortisol in real-time using specifically designed dental floss. This project started as a collaboration across several departments to explore the relationship between stress and cognitive performance. “We wanted a measuring device that wouldn’t add more stress to people’s lives,” Sonkusale said. “Flossing is a daily routine, so it made sense to collect samples that way.”

The new saliva-sensing floss resembles a typical floss pick, with a string connecting two prongs, all about the size of a finger. Saliva is drawn through a narrow channel in the floss into a handle, where it spreads across electrodes capable of detecting cortisol. This capability relies on eMIPs, a technology developed nearly 30 years ago that works by creating molds that remember the shape of the target molecule, leading to accurate detection.

One of the significant benefits of this approach is its versatility; it’s possible to modify the dental floss to also detect substances like estrogen or glucose for various health monitoring purposes. There’s even potential for monitoring multiple health markers simultaneously.

Sonkusale believes this eMIP technology is revolutionary, emphasizing that traditional biosensor development is often resource-intensive. “With this method, if a new marker is discovered, we can quickly create a polymer cast for it,” he said. The accuracy of these cortisol sensors is comparable to other high-performing ones on the market, and simplifying the use for everyday people could help incorporate stress monitoring into broader healthcare practices.

Currently, the team is working on a startup to bring the product to consumers. While the sensor is highly accurate, Sonkusale notes that using saliva for diagnostics isn’t perfect due to individual variability. “Blood is still the gold standard for diagnoses. But once you’re on medication, tracking your condition with this sensor could make managing your health much more straightforward,” he added.

The study detailing this research was published in a scientific journal, contributing to a series of innovations by Sonkusale and his team related to thread-based sensors capable of detecting gases, monitoring sweat metabolites, and integrating with flexible electronic devices.