Pain-free alternative for diabetics

No more finger pricking to check glucose!

Scientists have developed disposable paper-based sensors that can measure glucose concentrations in saliva, paving the way for a pain-free alternative to diabetics for monitoring their blood sugar levels daily -- as per a study.

A team from the Sensors Lab used inkjet technology to produce sensors sensitive to small sugar concentrations in biofluids.

Why diabetics need this

Inexpensive and easy-to-use diagnostic tools for fast health screening are imperative, especially in the developing world, where portability and affordability are a necessity.

Today, the majority of daily glucose monitoring tools rely on piercing the skin to draw blood.

The pain and discomfort associated with finger pricking have created a global need to develop non-invasive, portable glucose assays.

How did they create these paper sensors?

Strips of pH-sensitive paper are commonly used to test whether a liquid is acidic or alkaline.

Researchers applied similar principles to create paper sensors that quickly indicate disease bio-markers.

 

Key to this approach is replacing traditional electronic circuitry in the sensors with low-cost plastics that can be manufactured quickly and in large quantities.

 

Utilising a commercial ink made from conducting polymers, the team printed microscale electrode patterns onto glossy paper sheets.

 

They printed a sensing layer containing an enzyme, glucose oxidase, on top of the tiny electrodes.

The biochemical reaction between available glucose and the enzyme creates electrical signals easily correlated to blood sugar levels.

Challenges of developing this pain-free alternative

"Paper is porous, which makes it challenging to print conducting and biological inks that are dissolved in water," said a researcher of the study.

"Printing the enzyme is tricky, as well -- it's sensitive to variations of temperature, the voltage applied at the cartridge, and the pH of the ink,"he added.

While fluids, such as sweat or saliva, contain enough sugar for monitoring purposes, they also contain molecules, such as ascorbic acid, that interfere electrically with conducting polymers.
Coating the sensor with a nafion polymer membrane that repels the negative charges present in most interfering species enabled measurement of only the relevant glucose levels in saliva samples from volunteers.

a) Photograph of glucose biosensors inkjet-printed on paper b) Photograph of fully printed biosensor c) 3D schematic of working electrode with all separately printed layers d) Cross sectional SEM image of the working electrode [Image: Nature]

The novel sensor has a bright future

This fully printed, all-polymer biosensor with its ease of fabrication, accuracy, sensitivity and compatibility with easy-to-obtain biofluids such as saliva aids in the development of next generation low-cost, non-invasive, eco-friendly, and disposable diagnostic tools.
Experiments showed the top coating gave the sensor an unprecedented shelf life -- the enzyme could be kept alive and active for a month if stored in a sealed bag.
These results are encouraging the team to expand the capabilities of this approach by incorporating different enzymes into the sensing layer.

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