Researchers recycle CDs by turning them into inexpensive flexible biosensors

Researchers from Binghamton University in New York have found a way to put old CDs to good use: they have found a method to turn them into flexible biosensors that are easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

The research has been published in Nature Communications and shows how the thin metallic layer on a gold CD can be separated from the plastic and turned into sensors that can monitor electrical activity in human hearts and muscles. These biosensors can also be used to monitor lactate, glucose, pH and oxygen levels. Further, they can communicate with smartphones using Bluetooth.

The fabrication does not require any expensive equipment and can be completed in about 20 to 30 minutes.