Blood-induced interference of glucose sensor function in vitro: implications for in vivo sensor function.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Tissue hemorrhages and blood clots are common complications of glucose sensor implantation.
• The specific impact of red blood cells and clots on glucose sensor function remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the direct interference of human whole blood with glucose sensor function in vitro.
• To test the hypothesis that blood can negatively impact sensor performance.

Main Methods:

• Amperometric glucose sensors were incubated with heparinized human whole blood (HWB) and non-heparinized human whole blood (WB) for 24 hours at 37°C.
• WB was fractionated into plasma, serum, and total leukocyte (TL) components for further testing.
• Glucose sensor function (GSF) was continuously monitored via nanoampere output, with blood glucose levels measured periodically.

Main Results:

• Non-heparinized whole blood (WB) caused rapid signal loss in glucose sensors, with a half-life of 0.8 ± 0.2 hours.
• Heparinized whole blood (HWB), total leukocytes (TL), serum, and plasma-derived clots did not significantly affect GSF.
• Signal loss in WB was directly correlated with clot formation at the sensor surface.

Conclusions:

• Human whole blood directly interferes with glucose sensor function in vitro, primarily due to clot formation.
• The interference is specific to non-heparinized blood clots, as HWB and blood components showed no significant impact.
• These findings suggest that in vivo blood clot formation at glucose sensor implantation sites can negatively affect sensor performance.