Electropolymerization of hydroxybenzene and aminobenzene isomers on platinum electrodes to assemble interference-free electrochemical biosensors

Evaluation of an Anti-Thrombotic Continuous Lactate and Blood Pressure Monitoring Catheter in an In Vivo Piglet Model undergoing Open-Heart Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Blood lactate and blood pressure measurements are important predictors of life-threatening complications after infant open-heart surgeries requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We have developed an intravascular nitric oxide (NO)-releasing 5-Fr catheter that contains a lactate sensor for continuous in-blood lactate monitoring and a dedicated lumen for third-party pressure sensor attachment. This device has antimicrobial and antithrombotic properties and can be implanted intravascularly. The importance of this design is its ability to inhibit thrombosis, due to the slow release of NO through the surface of the catheter and around the electrochemical lactate sensors, to allow continuous data acquisition for more than 48 h. An in vivo study was performed using six piglets undergoing open-heart surgery with CPB and cardioplegic arrest, in order to mimic intra-operative conditions for infants undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. In each study of 3 h, two 5-Fr NO-releasing lactate and blood-pressure monitoring catheters were implanted in the femoral vessels (arteries and veins) and the CPB circuitry to monitor changing lactate levels and blood pressures during and immediately after aortic cross-clamp removal and separation from CBP. Electrical signals continuously acquired through the sensors were processed and displayed on the device's display and via Bluetooth to a computer in real-time with the use of a two-point in vivo calibration against blood gas results. The study results show that lactate levels measured from those sensors implanted in the CPB circuit during CPB were comparable to those acquired by arterial blood gas measurements, whereas lactate levels measured from sensors implanted in the femoral artery were closely correlated with those acquired intermittently by blood gas prior to CPB initiation, but not during CPB. Blood pressure sensors attached to one lumen of the device displayed accurate blood pressure readings compared to those measured using an FDA approved pressure sensor already on the market. We recommend that the sensor be implanted in the CPB's circuit to continuously monitor lactate during CPB, and implanted in the femoral arteries or jugular veins to monitor lactate before and after CPB. Blood pressures dramatically drop during CPB due to lower blood flow into the lower body, and we suspect that the femoral arteries are likely collapsing or constricting on the implanted catheter and disrupting the sensor-to-blood contact. This study shows that the device is able to accurately and continuously monitor lactate levels during CPB and potentially prevent post-surgery complications in infants.

Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine at a Gold Electrode Modified with a Polypyrrole⁻Mesoporous Silica Molecular Sieves (MCM-48) Film

A gold electrode modified with a polypyrrole–mesoporous silica molecular sieves (polypyrrole—MCM-48) nanostructure film was used for the electrochemical determination of small concentrations of dopamine (DA) by cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammetry techniques. This electrode showed good electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of dopamine. The oxidation potential of dopamine was decreased significantly compared with that obtained at the bare gold electrode. The observed linear range for the determination of the dopamine concentration, without interferents through cyclic voltammetry measurements, was from 10 μM to 1.2 mM (R² = 0.9989) for the gold electrode modified with the polypyrrole—MCM-48 nanostructure, with a detection limit of 2.5 μM. In the case of square-wave voltammetry, the linear range was 2–250 μM, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996, and the detection limit was estimated to be 0.7 μM. The effects of interferents, such as ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA), on the electrochemical detection of dopamine were also examined. The modified electrode can successfully separate the oxidation potentials for ascorbic acid and dopamine, shifting the oxidation peak potential of ascorbic acid to a more positive potential, and significantly decreasing the peak current. The presence of ascorbic acid increased the sensitivity of dopamine determination at the modified electrode, and the detection limit was estimated to be 0.5 μM with 0.1 mM ascorbic acid to imitate physiological solutions. Additionally, studies showed that the presence of uric acid does not affect the electrochemical detection of dopamine. The modified electrode can be successfully applied for the quantitative analysis of dopamine both with and without interferents.

Evaluation of Continuous Lactate Monitoring Systems within a Heparinized In Vivo Porcine Model Intravenously and Subcutaneously

We present an animal model used to evaluate the in vivo performance of electrochemical amperometric continuous lactate sensors compared to blood gas instruments. Electrochemical lactate sensors were fabricated, placed into 5 Fr central venous catheters (CVCs), and paired with wireless potentiostat devices. Following in vivo evaluation and calibration, sensors were placed within the jugular and femoral veins of a porcine subject as a preliminary assessment of in vivo measurement accuracy. The mobile electronic circuit potentiostat devices supplied the operational voltage for the sensors, measured the resultant steady-state current, and recorded the sensor response values in internal memory storages. An in vivo time trace of implanted intravenous (IV) sensors demonstrated lactate values that correlated well with the discrete measurements of blood samples on a benchtop point-of-care sensor-based instrument. Currents measured continuously from the implanted lactate sensors over 10 h were converted into lactate concentration values through use of a two-point in vivo calibration. Study shows that intravenously implanted sensors had more accurate readings, faster peak-reaching rates, and shorter peak-detection times compared to subcutaneously placed sensors. IV implanted and subcutaneously placed sensors closer to the upper body (in this case neck) showed faster response rates and more accurate measurements compared to those implanted in the lower portion of the porcine model. This study represents an important milestone not only towards continuous lactate monitoring for early diagnosis and intervention in neonatal patients with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgeries, but also in the intervention of critical ill patients in the Intensive Care Units or during complex surgical procedures.

Enzyme immobilization strategies and electropolymerization conditions to control sensitivity and selectivity parameters of a polymer-enzyme composite glucose biosensor

In an ongoing programme to develop characterization strategies relevant to biosensors for in-vivo monitoring, glucose biosensors were fabricated by immobilizing the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) on 125 μm diameter Pt cylinder wire electrodes (Pt(C)), using three different methods: before, after or during the amperometric electrosynthesis of poly(ortho-phenylenediamine), PoPD, which also served as a permselective membrane. These electrodes were calibrated with H(2)O(2) (the biosensor enzyme signal molecule), glucose, and the archetypal interference compound ascorbic acid (AA) to determine the relevant polymer permeabilities and the apparent Michaelis-Menten parameters for glucose. A number of selectivity parameters were used to identify the most successful design in terms of the balance between substrate sensitivity and interference blocking. For biosensors electrosynthesized in neutral buffer under the present conditions, entrapment of the GOx within the PoPD layer produced the design (Pt(C)/PoPD-GOx) with the highest linear sensitivity to glucose (5.0 ± 0.4 μA cm(-2) mM(-1)), good linear range (K(M) = 16 ± 2 mM) and response time (< 2 s), and the greatest AA blocking (99.8% for 1 mM AA). Further optimization showed that fabrication of Pt(C)/PoPD-GOx in the absence of added background electrolyte (i.e., electropolymerization in unbuffered enzyme-monomer solution) enhanced glucose selectivity 3-fold for this one-pot fabrication protocol which provided AA-rejection levels at least equal to recent multi-step polymer bilayer biosensor designs. Interestingly, the presence of enzyme protein in the polymer layer had opposite effects on permselectivity for low and high concentrations of AA, emphasizing the value of studying the concentration dependence of interference effects which is rarely reported in the literature.

Carbon-Nanotube-Enhanced Direct Electron-Transfer Reactivity of Hemoglobin Immobilized on Polyurethane Elastomer Film

In this study, we investigate the direct electron-transfer reactivity of immobilized hemoglobin (Hb) on a polyurethane elastomer (PUE) film for biosensor designs. The PUE film synthesized by an additional polymerization possesses good biocompatibility, uniformity, and conformability and is ready for protein immobilization. Electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements show that the presence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) increased the protein-PUE interaction, varied polymer morphology, improved the permeability and the conductivity of the PUE film, and thus facilitated the direct electron transfer between the immobilized Hb and the conductivity surface through the conducting tunnels of MWNTs. The immobilized Hb maintains its bioactivities and displays an excellent electrochemical behavior with a formal potential of -(334 +/- 7) mV. The addition of NaNO2 leads to an increase of the electrocatalytic reduction current of nitrite at -0.7 V. This allows us to develop a nitrite sensor with a linear response range from 0.08 to 3.6 mM. The proposed method opens a way to develop biosensors by using nanostructured materials mixed with low electrical conductivity matrixes.

Picoamperometric Detection of Glucose at Ultrasmall Platinum-Based Biosensors: Preparation and Characterization

A simple method is described for the construction of a glucose biosensor with good reproducibility. After electrochemical etching, the sensing tip of an etched platinum microelectrode was insulated using a synthetic rubber dip coating. The insulating layer was then heat-cured, leading to a small exposed area at the very end of the etched Pt tip, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Phenol and 2-allylphenol were electropolymerized to form an extra insulating layer that effectively retained glucose oxidase (GOX) on the sensing tip of the electrode. On the basis of cyclic voltammetry measurements, the apparent radius of the biosensor tip was estimated to be between 10 and 500 nm, depending on GOX loading. With operational and storage stabilities over 3 weeks, the glucose biosensor prepared using optimal GOX concentration (10 mg/mL) exhibited a picoamperometric current response within approximately 2 s and a detection limit of 20 microM with excellent reproducibility.

An oxygen-rich fill-and-flow channel biosensor

An oxygen-rich fill-and-flow channel biosensor has been developed for the measurement of glucose in wine. Glucose oxidase (GOD), immobilised in carbon paste (CP), was located in a well adjacent to a downstream detector electrode. When the analyte solution flows, hydrogen peroxide produced in the enzyme reaction is swept down to the detector electrode. Mineral oil and Kel-F oil (poly(chlorotrifluorethylene)) were used to prepare an enzyme layer of GOD within a CP. The hydrophobicity of the CP confined the reaction between the enzyme and its substrate to the surface of the enzyme layer. The oxidation current of hydrogen peroxide was sensitive to the enzyme loading but insensitive to mass transport variations such as flow rate. This response was, therefore, limited by the kinetics of the reaction between the enzyme and the substrate. For Kel-F oil, which can support a high concentration of dissolved oxygen, good reproducibility and greater dynamic range was obtained and the response did not decrease after degassing for 40 min with argon. Analysis of wine samples showed good agreement with the values obtained by spectrophotometric enzyme assay.

Glucose sensor using a microfabricated electrode and electropolymerized bilayer films

A new type miniaturized glucose sensor with good selectivity and stable current response has been developed. The structure consists of a recessed rectangular microfabricated platinum electrode, inner layer of two electropolymerized nonconducting films, and outer bilayer of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (Teflon) and polyurethane (PU) films. Glucose oxidase (GOx) is entrapped during the electropolymerization of a poly(m-phenylenediamine) (PMPD) film in an acetate buffer (AB) solution, on which a highly interference-resistive PMPD film is deposited in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. The second PMPD film causes no significant decrease in accessibility of glucose to GOx. The inner layer maintains less than 1% permeability to acetaminophen for 12 days. The fairly adhesive outer layer allows stable current response. Due to high permeability, the information about enzyme activity can be obtained without serious error in spite of outer layer intervening between enzymes and solution. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant and the maximum steady-state current density were 24 mM and 80 microA cm(-2), respectively.

Electrochemically mediated electrodeposition/electropolymerization to yield a glucose microbiosensor with improved characteristics

A procedure is described that provides for electrochemically mediated deposition of enzyme and a polymer layer permselective for endogenous electroactive species. Electrodeposition was first employed for the direct immobilization of glucose oxidase to produce a uniform, thin, and compact film on a Pt electrode. Electropolymerization of phenol was then employed to form an anti-interference and protective polyphenol film within the enzyme layer. In addition, a stability-reinforcing membrane derived from (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane was constructed by electrochemically assisted cross-linking. This hybrid film outside the enzyme layer contributed to the improved stability and permselectivity. The resulting glucose sensor was characterized by a short response time (<4 s), high sensitivity (1200 nA/mM x cm2), low interference from endogenous electroactive species, and working lifetime of more than 50 days.

Reproducible fabrication of miniaturized glucose sensors: preparation of sensing membranes for continuous monitoring

The immobilization process of glucose oxidase(GOx) in the poly(1,3-diaminobenzene) (poly(1,3-DAB)) network was closely investigated in situ using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance(EQCM). GOx captured in approximately 50 nm thick poly-1,3-DAB layer causes a 514 Hz frequency increase, corresponding to 541 ng, and distributes mostly in the outer part of the polymer film. The presence of poly-L-lysine and glutaraldehyde during electropolymerization of poly(1,3-DAB) improves sensitivity by raising the amount of GOx immobilized. Adding a protective membrane on to the enzyme layer from poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) dispersed in aqueous media lets the entire fabrication procedure finish perfectly without nonaqueous solvent. The finalized needle-type glucose sensors show competent functions in sensitivity, stability, biocompatibility, lifetime, interference and reproducibility.

Amperometric glucose sensor based on coimmobilization of glucose oxidase and Poly(p-phenylenediamine) at a platinum microdisk electrode

A miniaturized glucose biosensor in which glucose oxidase (GOD) and poly(p-phenylenediamine) (poly-PPD) were coimmobilized at the surface of a platinum microdisk electrode was developed and used successfully for amperometric determination of glucose. The performance of sensors prepared at different monomer concentrations and polymerization potentials with different media was investigated in detail. It was found that similarly to poly(o-phenylenediamine) (poly-OPD), (poly-PPD) noticeably eliminated the electrochemical interference of ascorbic acid, uric acid, and l-cysteine. The amperometric response of glucose with the biosensor under optimal conditions exhibited a linear relationship in the range of 5.0 x 10(-5) to 3.0 x 10(-3) M with correlation coefficient 0.9995. According to the Michaelis-Menten equation, the apparent Michaelis constant for glucose and the maximum steady-state current density of the poly-PPD/GOD-modified microelectrode were 3.94 mM and 607.5 microA cm(-2), respectively. The current density of the sensor responding to glucose in the linear range can reach 160 microA cm(-2) mM(-1), which is far greater than that obtained using poly-OPD and poly(phenol) film. In addition, the stability of the sensor was examined over a 2-month period.

A new interference-free lysine biosensor using a non-conducting polymer film

An electrochemical biosensor for the determination of lysine to be used for rapid evaluation of food quality has been developed. Platinum electrodes have been coated by electropolymerisation with 1,2-diaminobenzene (1.2-DAB) using cyclic voltammetry. The reduction in the oxidation of interferents compared with the bare platinum electrode was 100% for ascorbic acid, 99% for acetaminophen and 99% for cysteine. The enzyme L-lysine-alpha-oxidase was then immobilised onto the polymer layer by passive adsorption and a calibration curve for lysine constructed. This gave a linear range of 1 x 10(-5) mol/l to 1 x 10(-3) mol/l and a limit of detection of 2 x 10(-7) mol/l.

Assembling and evaluation of new dehydrogenase enzyme electrode probes obtained by electropolymerization of aminobenzine isomers and PQQ on gold, platinum and carbon electrodes

Pt, Au and graphite electrodes have been coated by electropolymerization of 1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-diaminobenzene (DAB) and 4-aminobiphenyl in the presence of PQQ using cyclic voltammetry. The activity of the modified electrodes for the oxidation of paracetamol, ascorbic and uric acid was reduced by approximately 90% as compared to the bare electrodes. Polymerization in the presence 4,5-dihydro-4,5-dioxo-1H-pyrrolo(2,3-f)quinoline-2,7,9-tricarboxilic+ ++ acid, pyrroloquinolinequinone (PQQ) led, after optimization, to electrodes capable of catalysing the electrooxidation of beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form (NADH), in the range 10(-4)-10(-2) mol/l with a detection limit of 5 x 10(-5) mol/l. Amperometric measurements of NADH have been carried out at +0.2 V and the efficiency of different electrodes based on different materials has been studied. By co-entrapment of dehydrogenase highly selective enzymes, electrodes for glucose, L-lactate and L-glutamate were obtained. Dehydrogenase substrates such as glucose, lactate and glutamate were measured in the range 5 x 10(-5)-1 x 10(-2) mol/l, with detection limits of 10(-5) and 5 x 10(-6) mol/l, respectively. Probe stability under non-dynamic conditions was evaluated over 2 months. All the probes showed a decrease of 10% over 1 month and a residual activity of 50% over 2 months.