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Wang L, Zhou Z, Niu J, Peng J, Wang T, Hou X. Emerging innovations in portable chemical sensing devices: Advancements from microneedles to hydrogel, microfluidic, and paper-based platforms. Talanta 2024; 278:126412. [PMID: 38924993 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
With the public heightened emphasis on mitigating the occurrence risks of health-related ailment and optimizing personal physical performance, portable chemical sensing devices emerged as an indispensable component of pervasive health monitoring. Chemical sensing enabled the immediate and on-site identification of biomarkers in biological fluids by integrating colorimetry, fluorescence, electrochemical, and other methods into portable sensor devices. These sensor devices incorporated microneedles, hydrogels, microfluidic modules, and papers, facilitating conformal human-device contact and providing several visual sensing options for disease prevention and healthcare management. This review systematically overviewed recent advancements in chemical sensors for marker detection, categorizing them based on monitoring device types. Furthermore, we also offered recommendations and opportunities for developing portable chemical sensing devices by summarizing sensor integration methods and tracking sites on the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louqun Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110016, PR China
| | - Zimeng Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110016, PR China
| | - Jingge Niu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110016, PR China
| | - Jiayi Peng
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110016, PR China
| | - Ting Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110016, PR China.
| | - Xiaohong Hou
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110016, PR China.
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Clark KM, Nekoba DT, Viernes KL, Zhou J, Ray TR. Fabrication of high-resolution, flexible, laser-induced graphene sensors via stencil masking. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 264:116649. [PMID: 39137522 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The advent of wearable sensing platforms capable of continuously monitoring physiological parameters indicative of health status have resulted in a paradigm shift for clinical medicine. The accessibility and adaptability of such portable, unobtrusive devices enables proactive, personalized care based on real-time physiological insights. While wearable sensing platforms exhibit powerful capabilities for continuously monitoring physiological parameters, device fabrication often requires specialized facilities and technical expertise, restricting deployment opportunities and innovation potential. The recent emergence of rapid prototyping approaches to sensor fabrication, such as laser-induced graphene (LIG), provides a pathway for circumventing these barriers through low-cost, scalable fabrication. However, inherent limitations in laser processing restrict the spatial resolution of LIG-based flexible electronic devices to the minimum laser spot size. For a CO2 laser-a commonly reported laser for device production-this corresponds to a feature size of ∼120 μm. Here, we demonstrate a facile, low-cost stencil-masking technique to reduce the minimum resolvable feature size of a LIG-based device from 120 ± 20 μm to 45 ± 3 μm when fabricated by CO2 laser. Characterization of device performance reveals this stencil-masked LIG (s-LIG) method yields a concomitant improvement in electrical properties, which we hypothesize is the result of changes in macrostructure of the patterned LIG. We showcase the performance of this fabrication method via production of common sensors including temperature and multi-electrode electrochemical sensors. We fabricate fine-line microarray electrodes not typically achievable via native CO2 laser processing, demonstrating the potential of the expanded design capabilities. Comparing microarray sensors made with and without the stencil to traditional macro LIG electrodes reveals the s-LIG sensors have significantly reduced capacitance for similar electroactive surface areas. Beyond improving sensor performance, the increased resolution enabled by this metal stencil technique expands capabilities for scalable fabrication of high-performance wearable sensors in low-resource settings without reliance on traditional fabrication pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylee M Clark
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Deylen T Nekoba
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Kian Laʻi Viernes
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Tyler R Ray
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John. A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA.
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Sahu S, Tripathy K, Bhattacharjee M, Chopra D. Engineering mechanical compliance in polymers and composites for the design of smart flexible sensors. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:4382-4394. [PMID: 38577734 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc00938j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Polymers are one of the most popular materials for next-generation flexible sensing device fabrication due to their tunable mechanical and electrical properties. A series of prior research studies in the field of smart flexible and wearable sensing illustrates the potential of various polymer and composite materials to be applied in sensor development. In this direction, mechanical compliance plays a vital role as it ensures the stability and reliability of the fabricated sensor. Therefore, engineering mechanical compliance for the development of smart flexible solutions has emerged as a significant area of research. Furthermore, the usage of flexible sensing devices is rapidly increasing in the field of healthcare devices and robotic automation. This feature article summarizes the relevant contributions of the authors in the field of engineered polymers and composites for flexible sensor development with a focus on healthcare and physical sensing applications. We discuss the polymer and composite materials, their characteristics, fabrication technologies, finite element method analysis, and examples of flexible physical sensors, i.e. pressure, strain, and temperature sensors, for various wearable healthcare applications and robotic automation. Finally, we discuss examples of multi-sensory systems having flexible sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivank Sahu
- i-lab, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, MP 462066, India.
| | - Kamalesh Tripathy
- i-lab, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, MP 462066, India.
| | - Mitradip Bhattacharjee
- i-lab, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, MP 462066, India.
| | - Deepak Chopra
- Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-Pass Road, Bhopal, MP 462066, India.
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Saha T, Mukherjee S, Dickey MD, Velev OD. Harvesting and manipulating sweat and interstitial fluid in microfluidic devices. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1244-1265. [PMID: 38197332 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00874f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices began to be used to facilitate sweat and interstitial fluid (ISF) sensing in the mid-2010s. Since then, numerous prototypes involving microfluidics have been developed in different form factors for sensing biomarkers found in these fluids under in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo (on-body) settings. These devices transport and manipulate biofluids using microfluidic channels composed of silicone, polymer, paper, or fiber. Fluid flow transport and sample management can be achieved by controlling the flow rate, surface morphology of the channel, and rate of fluid evaporation. Although many devices have been developed for estimating sweat rate, electrolyte, and metabolite levels, only a handful have been able to proceed beyond laboratory testing and reach the stage of clinical trials and commercialization. To further this technology, this review reports on the utilization of microfluidics towards sweat and ISF management and transport. The review is distinguished from other recent reviews by focusing on microfluidic principles of sweat and ISF generation, transport, extraction, and management. Challenges and prospects are highlighted, with a discussion on how to transition such prototypes towards personalized healthcare monitoring systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamoghna Saha
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Sneha Mukherjee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Michael D Dickey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Orlin D Velev
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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