ABSTRACT
With expansion of research in the area of lab-on-a-chip devices,
micrototal analysis systems, and point-of-care and home medical
testing, the need to miniaturize both transducers and electronic
signaling devices has drawn much attention. One of the problems
associated with miniaturization and portability of sensors is the
power supply. Power supplies, such as batteries, are difficult to
miniaturize and require a sensor design that allows for easy
replacement or recharging. This review describes the field of self-
powered biological sensing, where the sensor itself provides the
power for the sensing device. Here we focus on self-powered
biosensor devices based on chemical-to-electrochemical energy
transformations in biofuel cell (BFC) elements. BFCs are categorized
on the basis of biocatalyst applied, such as microbial fuel cells,
mitochondrial BFCs, and enzymatic BFCs. All three types of BFCs
have been proposed for self-powered biosensing. This review details
the common strategies for self-powered biosensors and discusses
the future of the technology.
