High-density microneedle array-based wearable electrochemical biosensor for detection of insulin in interstitial...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosensor Technology
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Current diabetes management lacks convenient, personal insulin monitoring, unlike glucose monitoring.
• Point-of-care wearable devices for insulin concentration are needed to improve patient quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an electrochemical transdermal biosensor for detecting insulin in interstitial fluid (ISF).
• To enable personalized, point-of-care insulin level measurements.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a high-density polymeric microneedle array (MNA) coated with gold and modified with insulin-selective aptamers.
• Developed an electrochemical detection method for insulin extracted from ISF.
• Conducted in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo testing on artificial ISF and mouse models.

Main Results:

• The biosensor demonstrated high selectivity for insulin with a linear response from 0.01 nM to 4 nM.
• Ex vivo and in vivo tests confirmed the MNA's ability to reach ISF, extract insulin, and enable electrochemical quantification.
• The biosensor's performance was unaffected by ex vivo application on mouse skin.

Conclusions:

• The MNA-based electrochemical biosensor is effective for transdermal insulin detection in ISF.
• This technology facilitates the transition of insulin assays from lab settings to personalized point-of-care applications.
• The developed biosensing platform holds potential for significantly improving diabetes management.