Space Confined SiNW Biosensing for Bioelectronic Medicine Applications by Nanosensors

It is well established that the key to minimizing diabetes-associated complications, in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, is tight regulation of blood glucose levels. Currently the major approach for regulating blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes relies on external blood glucose monitors. Conventional self-testing methods require a drop of blood for each glucose measurement. Poor patient compliance usually results in limited insights into the dynamic range of blood glucose levels and may lead to hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. For point-of-care (POC) purposes, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are considered to be the best candidates for diabetes therapy. Consequently, there has been, and continues to be, considerable investment in the development of minimally-invasive continuous glucose monitoring technologies. The aim of this study is to test and develop a minimal-invasive CGM interstitial fluid (ISF) sensing device based on 600µm long, silicon micro needles dermal sensors. These silicon micro needles are equipped with nano-sensor field effect transistors at their tips, modified with Glucose Oxidase which catalyses the oxidation of glucose to hydrogen peroxide which affect the electrical field around the nanowire and changes its conductivity. Once CGM development is establish, we believe that in the future, our ISF sensing device will allow the monitoring of a variety of metabolites in the blood for painless and accurate POC.