Lollipop-Inspired Device Measures Acetaminophen Levels in Saliva

Acetaminophen is used in many over-the-counter pain relievers, cold and flu products, and other medications. Excess dosing can cause serious side effects, including liver damage, and children may be at risk of unintentional overdose even at low medication levels. Because acetaminophen concentrations in saliva closely reflect those in blood, saliva testing could offer a noninvasive monitoring approach. Building on that possibility, researchers have developed a candy-coated device that collects saliva and measures acetaminophen directly.

The device is called Lollylab, a miniature laboratory-on-a-lollipop designed for saliva collection and analysis. It was inspired by CandyCollect, a lollipop-like saliva sampling system intended to replace throat swabs, but Lollylab is designed to perform the measurement directly at the point of care. The prototype combines saliva stimulation, sample transfer, and electrochemical sensing in a single device.

Lollylab is built from two snapped-together plastic pieces, each with a round end and thinner stem, with holes at the top that allow saliva to enter. The team coated the top with a red, peach-flavored edible candy shell that did not interfere with measurements. Saliva then moves through glass fiber paper lining the lollipop stem toward a graphene sensor at the bottom, where acetaminophen levels are measured as changes in electrical current.

The prototype detected acetaminophen in artificial and human saliva. In a proof-of-concept test, six adults used Lollylab before and one hour after taking a standard adult dose of acetaminophen, which was 650 milligrams. The device reliably measured the drug in saliva in less than two minutes, and participants said it was easy to use and more comfortable than typical saliva swabs.

The work was published in ACS Sensors under the title “Lollylab: A Lollipop-Inspired Device for Saliva Collection and Detection of Acetaminophen Toxicity in Pediatric Patients.” The researchers next plan to validate Lollylab’s acetaminophen measurements in more participants, including children. They also aim to develop the platform to detect other substances in saliva, including naturally occurring stress markers. 

“By turning a familiar object like a lollipop into both a saliva collection device and a sensor, Lollylab can collect the sample and perform the measurement directly at the point of care,” said Sina Khazaee Nejad, first author of the paper. “The main takeaway is that diagnostic testing can be made much easier and more comfortable, especially for children."

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