Minimally invasive technique for measuring transdermal glucose with a fluorescent biosensor

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Current blood glucose monitoring methods are invasive and painful, posing challenges for critically ill pediatric patients.
• A need exists for reliable, accurate, and minimally invasive glucose monitoring technologies in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a minimally invasive technique using microneedles (MN) for transdermal glucose (TG) collection and measurement.
• To assess the feasibility of this technique for continuous glucose monitoring in pediatric intensive care units.

Main Methods:

• Microneedles were used to collect transdermal glucose samples from Yucatan miniature pig skin and human subjects.
• Transdermal glucose was quantified using a highly sensitive and selective E. coli glucose-binding protein (GBP) biosensor.
• Diffusion studies were conducted to assess skin permeability and TG diffusion across intact and MN-treated skin.

Main Results:

• Microneedle application significantly increased skin permeability and transdermal glucose diffusion in both animal and human models.
• A strong positive linear correlation (r > 0.95, p < 0.01) was observed between transdermal glucose and blood glucose levels in human subjects.
• The GBP biosensor demonstrated high sensitivity (K_d = 0.67 μM) and selectivity, enabling rapid TG measurements with reduced sample volume.

Conclusions:

• Microneedle-based transdermal glucose monitoring is a viable, minimally invasive alternative to traditional methods.
• The developed biosensor technology is suitable for point-of-care glucose monitoring in pediatric intensive care settings.
• Reduced application time and improved accuracy enhance the potential for practical use by healthcare providers.