Hydrogel scaffolds respond to concentration of analytes in the blood, including oxygen, CO2, glucose
THURSDAY, March 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A novel implantable sensor can relay real-time personal health information relating to a range of analytes, according to a presentation at the annual National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, held from March 18 to 22 in New Orleans.
Natalie A. Wisniewski, Ph.D., from San Francisco-based Profusa Inc., and colleagues discussed novel biosensors composed of tissue-like hydrogel scaffolds that reside under the skin and use existing mobile networks to provide real-time continuous wireless biochemical data for remote viewing or viewing on a cellphone.
The researchers described the use of functionalized soft, porous hydrogel scaffolds with luminescent chemistries and demonstrated their functionality in the body for over four years. In order to avoid the long-term foreign body response, tissues grow in and throughout the porous sensor scaffolds. The sensors have been engineered to be sensitive to various analytes, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, glucose, and lactate. These analytes trigger concentration-dependent, reversible changes in optical properties, which occur in the near-infrared range and can be identified by a detector placed at the surface of the skin without insertion of a fiber optical probe.
“The sensors would provide a continuous record of your analytes relative to your personal baseline,” Wisniewski said in a statement. “If something goes off kilter, it’s flagged early, before you feel symptoms, so you can get to the doctor in time for treatment.”
The device was manufactured by Profusa.
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