Overview

• The floss pick draws saliva through a microchannel by capillary action and spreads it across electrodes coated with electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers (eMIPs) that bind cortisol.
• Laboratory tests demonstrate that cortisol readings from the floss sensor rival the accuracy of the best commercial and experimental devices.
• Sameer Sonkusale and his team published their findings in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and are now establishing a startup to bring the product to market.
• The versatile eMIP approach can be reconfigured to detect additional saliva biomarkers such as estrogen for fertility tracking, glucose for diabetes monitoring, or markers for cancer.
• Designed for ongoing home use, the device aims to enable regular stress monitoring to support management of chronic conditions linked to stress, including cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, depression, and anxiety.