Phosphorescence Lifetime Imaging for Monitoring an Insertable Hydrogel Multianalyte Sensor.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Sensor Technology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Oxidoreductase-based sensors offer sensitive glucose monitoring but are limited by oxygen consumption and environmental dependencies.
• Existing sensors require controlled oxygen conditions and are affected by temperature variations, impacting accuracy.
• Continuous monitoring is crucial for managing chronic conditions like diabetes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, minimally invasive sensor capable of simultaneous glucose, oxygen, and temperature measurement.
• To create a multianalyte sensor platform that compensates for local environmental fluctuations.
• To lay the foundation for advanced tools for simultaneous biomarker monitoring.

Main Methods:

• A miniature hydrogel multicompartment device was fabricated with phosphorescent sensing assays for glucose, oxygen, and temperature.
• Phosphorescence lifetime time-gated imaging was employed using a custom monitoring system.
• Sensor response was evaluated across a range of glucose concentrations, oxygen levels, and temperatures.

Main Results:

• The sensor successfully provided simultaneous measurements of glucose, oxygen, and temperature.
• Phosphorescence lifetime measurements showed a strong correlation with the Stern-Volmer relationship for oxygen concentration.
• The sensor demonstrated feasibility as a multianalyte platform, compensating for environmental variations.

Conclusions:

• A novel sensor design enables simultaneous measurement of glucose, oxygen, and temperature.
• This technology offers improved accuracy for glucose monitoring by accounting for environmental factors.
• The developed platform supports minimally invasive, continuous monitoring of multiple biomarkers, benefiting chronic disease management.