Future Fashion? A Chemical and Biological Threat Detector-On-A-Ring

The team designed their sensor as a ring that can be worn on a finger. The ring has two parts, an electrochemical sensor cap for detecting chemical and biological threats, and a circuit board under the cap for processing and sending data wirelessly to a smartphone or laptop. It can perform voltammetric and chronoamperometric measurements, which allow the ring to detect a wide array of chemical threats. The team exposed the prototype to explosives and organophosphate nerve agents, both in vapor and liquid phases. The ring was highly selective and sensitive. Although this ring-based sensor was designed to detect explosives and organophosphate nerve agents, the researchers say the device could be expanded to other hazardous environmental or security agents.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense.

ACS Sensors