Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Hollow Microneedle-based Sensor for Multiplexed Transdermal Electrochemical Sensing
Published on: June 1, 2012
Resilient nanostructured bioanalytic microneedle longitudinally monitors preclinical renal and hepatic drug clearance
Jialun Zhu1, Xuanbing Cheng1, Mohammadreza Bahramian1,2
1Interconnected and Integrated Bioelectronics Lab (I2BL), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095,USA.
Abstract:
Wearable microneedle biosensors promise real-time molecular monitoring for precision medicine but are limited by low sensitivity and tissue abrasion. Overcoming these challenges, we recast electrode functionality not merely as a sensing substrate but as a mechanism for resilient, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements in tissue. Our microneedle-based resilient nanostructured bioelectrode (RNB) is fabricated using a bilayer process that strengthens the electrode with a micrometer-thick gold adhesion layer and reduces fabrication-induced stress through controlled dealloying. The resulting RNBs are corrosion resistant, stable over a wide potential window, and have an artifact-free, nanocavity-textured interface. They integrate receptor-based electrochemical biosensors with enhanced SNR through increased active area, diffusion, and antifouling while remaining abrasion immune in megapascal-stiff tissues. The RNB extended in vivo biosensor lifetime for pharmacokinetics monitoring to 6 days in a freely moving rat. Paired with a blood-interstitial fluid equilibrium-based bioanalytical framework, the RNB accurately derived blood-equivalent pharmacokinetic parameters, enabling not only precision dosing of narrow therapeutic index drugs but also the direct assessment of hepatic and renal clearance. In hepatic studies, the RNB revealed delayed clearance of a chemotherapeutic (irinotecan) in liver-damaged models. In renal studies, RNB recordings correlated with blood antibiotic pharmacokinetics across chronic kidney disease severities. The RNB detected renal impairment earlier than conventional biomarker thresholds through drug clearance quantification and captured recovery under therapeutic intervention. These results establish the RNB as a viable microneedle platform for high-fidelity in vivo deployment of electrochemical biosensors, enabling minimally invasive, longitudinal monitoring of low-concentration analytes and real-time assessment of organ function.
Related Concept Videos
Renal Drug Clearance: Overview
Renal clearance can be calculated using different methods. One approach is to divide the urinary drug excretion rate by the plasma drug concentration. This method directly measures renal clearance, indicating the kidneys' efficiency in...
Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...
Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Measurement of Serum Creatinine Concentration and Clearance
Renal Drug Clearance: Comparison Between Renal Excretion Methods
Renal clearance is often associated with the renal glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which represents the rate at which plasma is filtered through the glomeruli in the kidney. When drug reabsorption is minimal and there is no active secretion, renal clearance is closely related to the...

