Health-monitoring mouthguard ‘offers many applications’

A new type of mouthguard is being developed that can monitor health markers, such as lactate, cortisol and uric acid, in saliva.

Created by engineers at the University of California, San Diego, the device is at a proof-of-concept stage and is able to transmit its data wirelessly to a smartphone, laptop or tablet.

In a study, the team were able to successfully use the mouthguard sensor to measure uric acid – a marker related to diabetes and to gout – through saliva. Currently, the only way to monitor the levels of uric acid in a patient is to draw blood.

The next step is to embed all the electronics inside the mouthguard so that it can actually be worn. A new iteration of the system is expected to be delivered in around a year or so.

It is thought the device could be used to monitor patients continuously without invasive procedures, as well as to track athletes' performance, or stress levels in soldiers and pilots.

Nanoengineering professor Joseph Wang said: "The ability to monitor continuously and noninvasively saliva biomarkers holds considerable promise for many biomedical and fitness applications."