Research Projects

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a second most common neurodegenerative and disabling pathology that is characterized by both motor and non-motor symptoms and affects millions of people worldwide. The disease not only significantly affects quality of life of pateint but also impose socio-economic burden on family. Currently , PD diagnosis is based on the assessment of motor (and non-motor) symptoms, via neurological visual examinations as required and defined in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), but such diagnostic techniques and disease progression monitoring approaches remain suboptimal for PD management. All these clinical scales are subjective; this fact leads to high inter-rater variability among different neurologists or different medical centers, as well as high intra-rater variability over time. The correct diagnosis of PD is of fundamental importance for adequate prognosis and treatment. The treatment for PD is a subject of debate, especially in the early phases. Early and accurate diagnosis of PD may improve the long-term quality of life for PD patients, while misdiagnosing a patient causes delay in receiving the appropriate treatment plan. In this context, the exploitation of smart technologies for PD applications has increased in recent years. In particular, wearable sensors can help clinicians early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and objective quantification of symptoms over time. The sensor devices, which are of low cost, low power and accurate in the measurements, for monitoring and managing the pathology will be of paramount importance. To address this we are proposing to develop MXenes (Ti3AlC2) assisted 2D material wearable electronic sensor for monitoring the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. MXene is an emerging 2D material that has attracted researchers, and the complete potential of this material is yet to be explored. Our previous studies on CNT based sensors had certain limitations like high synthesis cost and low biocompatibility. Therefore, new structures with equivalent or more advanced properties with ease of synthesis for mass scale production with good biocompatibility are needed. The electronic properties of Ti3AlC2 MXenes are unique as compared to other 2D materials, such as graphene. Ti3AlC2 MXenes could be easily synthesized in large scale using chemical exfoliation process as compared to other MXenes class materials. In addition, Ti3AlC2 MXenes have high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE) under laser irradiation. Ti3AlC2 MXenes exhibit excellent absorption properties in the near infrared (NIR) range. Ti3AlC2 MXenes have adjustable morphologies and structural properties that can be modified according to the desirable proposed application. The successful completion of the project will give us a sensitive physiological sensor for monitoring subtle motor dysfunction. This will help in early diagnosis and prevention of PD before the disease become untreatable.