Biomedical Technology

Graphene for healthcare applications 

As the demand for healthcare services continues to increase, so does the demand for novel healthcare solutions. These solutions should be more effective, cost less, prevent and cure disease, and should be equally effective throughout the world. Graphene is paving the way for novel diagnosis and treatments, thanks to its unique properties, such as high surface area, electron mobility, and functionalisation potential; all favourable for biomedical technologies.

For instance, the surface area of graphene makes an excellent platform for drug delivery and the conductivity makes for effective biosensors. The ability of graphene to be made into scaffolds whilst maintaining the inherent conductivity can be put to use in tissue engineering. New research has shown that graphene can be incorporated with a polymer to make very sensitive electromechanical sensors, and that it can be used to make improved deep brain implants.

The most advanced and promising areas in the biomedical field are currently those where graphene is used in a device configuration. For example, in Point-of-Care or In Vitro diagnostics, graphene can be used as a sensor and be duly functionalized to tune its sensing capabilities. Graphene-based neural interfaces have also demonstrated the possibility to not only detect wavelengths in the brain that cannot be detected with current metal-based technologies, but also to stimulate the tissue, opening up possibilities for new therapies.

​Cinzia Spinato, Business Developer for biomedical applications for the Graphene Flagship