Wireless potentiostats capable of cyclic voltammetry and amperometry that connect to the Internet are emerging as key attributes of future point-of-care devices. This work presents an "integrated microfluidic electrochemical detector" (iMED) three-electrode multi-potentiostat designed around operational amplifiers connected to a powerful WiFi-based microcontroller as a promising alternative to more expensive and complex strategies reported in the literature. The iMED is integrated with a microfluidic system developed to be controlled by the same microcontroller. The iMED is programmed wirelessly over a standard WiFi network and all electrochemical data is uploaded to an open-source cloud-based server. A wired desktop computer is not necessary for operation or program uploading. This method of integrated microfluidic automation is simple, uses common and inexpensive materials, and is compatible with commercial sample injectors. An integrated biosensor platform contains four screen-printed carbon arrays inside 4 separate microfluidic detection chambers with Pt counter and pseudo Ag/AgCl reference electrodes in situ. The iMED is benchmarked with K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] against a commercial potentiostat and then as a glucose biosensor using glucose-oxidising films of [Os(2,2′bipyridine) 2 (polyvinylimidazole) 10 Cl] prepared on screen-printed electrodes with multi walled carbon nanotubes, poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether and flavin adenine dinucleotidedependent glucose dehydrogenase. Potential application of this cost-effective wireless potentiostat approach to modern bioelectronics and point-of-care diagnosis is demonstrated by production of glucose oxidation currents, under pseudo-physiological conditions, using mediating films with lower redox potentials.
Monitoring glucose levels in physiological
fluids can help prevent
severe complications associated with hypo- and hyper-glycemic events.
Current glucose-monitoring systems require a three-electrode setup
and a power source to function, which can hamper the system miniaturization
to the patient discomfort. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) offer the opportunity
to develop self-powered and minimally invasive glucose sensors by
eliminating the need for an external power source. Nevertheless, practical
applications demand for cost-effective and mass-manufacturable EFCs
compatible with integration strategies. In this study, we explore
for the first time the use of gold electrodes on a printed circuit
board (PCB) for the development of an EFC and demonstrate its application
in saliva. To increase the specific surface area, the PCB gold-plated
electrodes were modified with porous gold films. At the anode, glucose
oxidase is immobilized with an osmium redox polymer that serves as
an electron-transfer mediator. At the cathode, bilirubin oxidase is
adsorbed onto the porous gold surface with a blocking agent that prevents
parasitic reactions while maintaining the enzyme catalytic activity.
The resulting EFC showed a linear response to glucose in phosphate
buffer within the range 50 μM to 1 mM, with a sensitivity of
14.13 μA cm
–2
mM
–1
. The
sensor was further characterized in saliva, showing the linear range
of detection of 0.75 to 2 mM, which is within the physiological range,
and sensitivity of 21.5 μA cm
–2
mM
–1
. Overall, this work demonstrates that PCBs are suitable platforms
for EFCs, paving the way for the development of fully integrated systems
in a seamless and miniaturized device.
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