‘Lab-On-Disc’ Caffeine Sensor Works Like a Traffic Light

A team of researchers from Singapore and Korea have developed a “lab-on-a-disc” sensor that lights up to determine caffeine levels in coffee. Called Caffeine Orange, the kit allows users to radiate a disc with a green laser, on which the caffeine level will be represented by various shades of green, yellow or red. According to the researchers, the results appear in less than one minute. See the details of the research here. 

“Applying lab-on-a-disc technology to real life application with the novel caffeine sensor is very meaningful,” said Professor Yoon-Kyoung Cho from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Korea, who helped lead the research. “We will continue to develop new sensors applicable to various materials utilizing lab-on-a-chip technology.”

The research team says the caffeine indicator can be used as a kind of “traffic light” to let coffee drinkers know when they are at risk of “caffeine overdose.”

“The reddish orange color indicates a stop sign for people who cannot uptake caffeine, while yellow and green indicate a warning signal and safe zone respectively,” said research leader Young-Tae Chang, from the National University of Singapore.