Development of Reusable Electronic Tongue Based on Reversible Activation of TRPV1 on the Graphene Field-Effect Transistor for the Pain Evaluation

Nociceptors play a crucial role in detecting pain throughout the human body, being widely distributed. Among these, the TRPV1 receptor is notable; it belongs to the transient receptor potential family and functions as a non-selective cation channel that plays a key role in transmitting pain signals. Activated by various stimuli, both internal and external, TRPV1 causes a sensation of heat on the tongue when exposed to spicy substances in food, due to specific ligands binding to its receptors. While our understanding of the five primary senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste—has advanced significantly, the mechanisms of taste perception remain largely unexplored. Developing an artificial tongue that mimics human taste sensitivity and is reusable requires enhancing sensitivity and reusability. Our research introduces an innovative approach using a system equipped with reusable graphene transistor, marking progress toward such technology.