Optical bio-sniffer for methyl mercaptan in halitosis.

An optical bio-sniffer for methyl mercaptan (MM) one of major odorous chemicals in halitosis (bad breath) was constructed by immobilizing monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A) onto a tip of a fiber optic oxygen sensor (od: 1.59 mm) with an oxygen sensitive ruthenium organic complex (excitation: 470 nm, fluorescent: 600 nm). A flow cell for circulating buffer solution was applied to rinse and clean the tip of the device like nasal mucosa.

Bioelectronic sniffer for nicotine using enzyme inhibition.

A novel bioelectronic sniffer for nicotine in the gas phase was developed with enzyme inhibition principle to butyrylcholinesterase activity. The bioelectronic devices for nicotine in the gas and liquid phases were constructed using a Clark-type dissolved oxygen electrode and a membrane immobilized butyrylcholinesterase and choline oxidase. After the assessment of the sensor performances to choline and butyrylcholine as pre-examinations, the characteristics of the biosensor and bio-sniffer for nicotine were evaluated in the liquid and gas phases, respectively.

An optic pharyngeal manometric sensor for deglutition analysis.

A micro optic pharyngeal manometric sensor for deglutition analysis was constructed. The optical manometric sensor was composed of a fluid-sensitive and air-sensitive fiber-optic pressure sensor (extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric type) and a lateral pressure-sensitive attachment. The manometric sensor was circumferential type, and had a very small diameter (distal: 2.

A flexible and wearable biosensor for tear glucose measurement.

A flexible and wearable amperometoric glucose sensor was fabricated and tested. Also, the sensor was utilized to tear glucose monitoring. The sensor was constructed by immobilizing GOD onto a flexible oxygen electrode (Pt working electrode and Ag/AgCl counter/reference electrode), which was fabricated using "Soft-MEMS" techniques onto a functional polymer membrane.

A flexible transcutaneous oxygen sensor using polymer membranes.

A wearable and flexible oxygen sensor for transcutaneous blood gas monitoring was fabricated and tested. The sensor has a laminar film-like structure, which was fabricated by pouching KCl electrolyte solution by both non-permeable (metal weldable) sheet and gas-permeable membrane with Pt- and Ag/AgCl-electrodes patterned using microfabrication process. The electrolyte solution was fixed only by heat-sealing the edges of the weldable membranes without any chemical adhesives.

Proportion of mated females, female mating experience, and sex ratio of the osmund sawfly, Strongylogaster osmundae (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae).

The proportion of mated females (M ) of the osmund sawfly, Strongylogaster osmundae, and the sex ratio of the eggs they deposited (r, proportion of males) were estimated in the wild by collecting egg masses. The proportion of mated females at oviposition varied from 0 to 1.0.