The biomimetic sensor is a new type of sensor that uses a new detection principle. It uses immobilized cells, enzymes or other biologically active substances to interact with the transducer to form a sensor. This kind of sensor is a new type of information technology developed by biomedicine and electronics and engineering in recent years. This sensor is characterized by good performance and long life. Among biomimetic sensors, biosensors are commonly used.

Various bionic sensors

Biomimetic sensors can be classified according to the medium used: enzyme sensors, microbial sensors, cell sensors, tissue sensors, and the like. The bionic sensor and all aspects of biological theory are closely related and are the direct result of the development of biological theory. Among the bio-simulated sensors, the urea sensor is a recently developed sensor. The application of a biomimetic sensor is described below using a urea sensor as an example.

The urea sensor is mainly composed of a biofilm and its ion channel. The biofilm can sense the influence of external stimuli, and the ion channel can receive the information of the biofilm and amplify and transmit it. When the sensing site in the film is affected by an external stimulating substance, the permeability of the film changes, causing a large amount of ions to flow into the cell to form a transmission of information. Among them, the membrane protein, which is a component of the biofilm, can produce a conformal network change, change the permeability of the membrane, and transmit and amplify the information.

The ion channel of the biofilm is composed of a polymer of amino acids, and a polymer of poly-amino acid (L-glutamic acid, PLG) which is easily synthesized in organic chemistry can be used as a substitute substance, which is better than the chemical stability of the enzyme. PLG is water soluble, and it can synthesize block copolymers with polymers to form a sensing film for use in sensors.

The principle of the ion channel of the biofilm is basically the same as that of the biofilm. After the block copolymer film is fixed on the electrode, if the substance that changes the PLG-protective network is added, the permeability of the film changes, and the current is generated. The change, by the change of current, can be used to detect irritant substances.

The urea sensor has been proved to be a stable biological sensor with good stability. The lower limit of detection is 10 orders of magnitude lower than the power of 3, and it can also detect irritating substances, but it is not suitable for the measurement of the living body.

At present, although many biomimetic sensors have been successfully developed, the stability, reproducibility and mass production of biomimetic sensors are obviously insufficient. Therefore, the biomimetic sensing technology is still in its infancy, so in the future, a new series of biomimetic sensors will be developed. In addition to the existing series, the immobilization technology of bioactive membranes and the solidification of biomimetic sensors deserve further study.

In the near future, olfactory, gustatory, auditory, and tactile biomimetic sensors that mimic biological functions will emerge, possibly surpassing the human facial features, improving the current robot's visual, taste, tactile, and ability to operate on objects. We can see the broad prospects of bionic sensor applications, but these require further development of biotechnology, and we will wait and see this day.