Phase separation-based porous microneedle array for non-invasive point-of-care dermal interstitial fluid testing

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic disease that significantly impacts patients' quality of life and leads to serious complications, making effective blood glucose management essential. Current methods primarily include invasive fingertip blood testing and minimally invasive continuous glucose monitoring; however, the former presents psychological and infection risks, while the latter is costly and complex. Here, we report a phase separation-based porous microneedle-based analysis system, featuring a sampling module and a detection module, for point-of-care dermal interstitial fluid (DISF) glucose testing in a non-invasive, cost-effective and user-friendly manner. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed system have been thoroughly assessed through in vitro and on-body tests. Specifically, on-body trials with nine subjects during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) confirmed consistent fluctuations between DISF and blood glucose concentrations, while routine tests among five volunteers (three healthy individuals and two patients with prediabetes) showed excellent capability of the proposed system for blood glucose prediction in a user-friendly and non-invasive manner. We believe this approach offers a promising, user-friendly solution for home-based, non-invasive, and rapid blood glucose management.