This nanofiber device can hear cells moving

This is an artist’s illustration of nano optical fibers detecting femtonewton-scale forces produced by swimming bacteria. [Image from Rhett S. Miller/UC Regents]

A new miniature nanofiber device created by engineers at the University of California at San Diego is sensitive enough that it can feel bacteria swimming and can hear heart muscle cells beating.

The device is 100 times thinner than a human hair and is made of optical fiber. It is designed to be able to detect forces as small as 160 fN if put in a live Helicobacter pylori bacteria solution. The device can also hear sounds at –30 dB, which is 1,000 times below what humans can hear.

“This work could open up new doors to track small interactions and changes that couldn’t be tracked before,” said Donald Sirbuly, a nanoengineering professor at UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering and leader of the study, in a press release.

Get the full story on our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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