Bonex W Mwakikunga
Principal Researcher, DST/CSIR National Centre for Nano- Structured Materials, South Africa.
Title: The Nanowire-based Breath Analyser Technology for Disease Detection
Biography
Biography: Bonex W Mwakikunga
Abstract
This presentation outlines the progress made since 2011 when the projects of building nano sensors at the CSIR in Pretoriarnstarted up to the present time. The time line starts with some underlying nano-scale physics then onto our attempts tornestablish electrical contacts to single WO3 nanowires by focussed ion beam coating in Carl Zeiss SEM equipped with nanomanipulators.rnNext are the attempts for on-chip growth SnO2 nanowires on Au patterned alumina substrates and lastly thernAu/Ti contacts to individual SnO2 nanowires by electron-beam lithography protocols. All these approaches led to harnessingrnthe nanowire devices into a micro-nano chip which became the first CSIR technology demonstration in 2013. This demo hasrnsince been packaged into a complete breath analyser device which has now been tested in clinics where it has being calibratedrnto non-invasively monitor glucose levels in diabetic patients. The presentation also will cover the protocols for a start-uprncompany to manufacture breath analysers based on nanotechnology to monitor acetone in diabetic monitoring, formaldehydernand ammonia levels in renal failure patients as well as toluene levels in lung cancer patients. Lessons learn from “this one of thernfirst in Africa” nanotechnology ventures are important experiences to be shared.