Skip to main content

DARPA invests $7.5 million into Profusa’s tiny tech-packed implantable biosensor

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced a project with the U.S. Army Research Office to develop tissue-integrated biosensor technology. Profusa, a San Francisco company, was awarded a $7.5 million grant from DARPA to lead the development.

The U.S. military is interested in developing the technology to aid in real-time monitoring of combat soldier health vitals. Profusa chairman and CEO Ben Hwang said, “Profusa’s vision is to replace a point-in-time chemistry panel that measures multiple biomarkers, such as oxygen, glucose, lactate, urea, and ions with a biosensor that provides a continuous stream of wireless data,” according to QMed.

Related Videos

The U.S. military hopes that this technology will improve mission efficiency and provide real-time information that allows soldiers to quickly address health issues that may affect the mission. Profusa’s bioengineering approach to an implantable biosensor allegedly overcomes the body’s natural reaction to reject foreign material. The sensors are made of a “smart hydrogel” similar to contact lens material.

Profusa implantable biosensor
Profusa implantable biosensor Profusa

The sensors are implanted approximately two to four millimeters below the surface of the skin, and are only three to five millimeters long. At 500 microns in diameter, the sensors are tiny, and packing that much tech into such a small package is an impressive feat. Each biosensor is a soft, flexible fiber that is designed to be compatible with body tissues for up to two years.

The sensor interfaces with an optical reader that communicates with a smartphone application to provide users with real-time information for actionable decisions. Data is also shared through digital networks that allow health care providers and public health analysts to perform long term studies with wide-ranging information.

Critics claim that this type of technology brings the government one step closer to implantable sensors that are capable of violating privacy. Profusa counters that the technology can be utilized in a civilian capacity to manage chronic diseases like diabetes.

Editors' Recommendations

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV aims for affordability with $30,000 base price
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV.

The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV isn’t the General Motors brand’s first electric model, but it might be the most consequential. Chevy has plenty of EV experience, but with the Equinox EV, which is scheduled to go on sale in fall 2023, it’s prioritizing mass-market appeal.

The third electric vehicle unveiled by Chevy this year, following the Silverado EV and Blazer EV, the Equinox EV aims for greater affordability with a targeted starting price of around $30,000. Its compact crossover SUV form factor is also more suited to American tastes than the current Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV.

Read more
HP unveils new IPS Black monitor with one key new feature
A man uses a HP Z32k G3 4K USB-C monitor.

HP has just revealed several new products, and among them, you can find what seems to be a real gem as far as monitors are concerned -- the HP Z32k G3. The monitor is only the second display to utilize the IPS Black technology, and it's the first such display that supports Thunderbolt 4.

Aside from the monitor, the company has also unveiled a brand-new all-in-one desktop, a webcam that offers 4K streaming, a laptop and tablet hybrid device, and improvements to HP Proactive Insights that could have a positive effect on productivity.

Read more
New VESA display standard makes it easier to pick a monitor
Person using a gaming monitor.

Good news for those who want to buy a new monitor sometime soon -- a new specification has just come out that should make the whole process just a little bit easier.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has just introduced a new motion blur spec, dubbed ClearMR. The standard will show at a glance whether or not a monitor excels in eliminating motion blur.

Read more