Arya Sukumar, College of Agriculture, Vellayani
Innovators at Purdue University are waiting to obtain a patent for their new invention; a biosensor that can be printed in 3D using an automated printing system that can simultaneously record and create images of tissues and organs during surgery.
What is a biosensor?
A Biosensor is an analytical device that detects a biological or chemical change like, change in concentration of an enzyme, acid, etc., and transforms them into an electrical signal. The biosensor consists of a biological sensing element and a transducer, which converts the data into electrical signals. Also, there will be an electronic circuit that comprises a Signal Conditioning Unit, a Processor or Microcontroller, and a Display Unit.
History of biosensors:
M. Cremer put forward the concept of biosensors dates back to as early as 1906 by demonstrating that the electric potential that arises between sections of the fluid on opposite sides of a glass membrane is proportional to the concentration of the acid in the liquid. But it is Leland C. Clark Jr regarded as the ‘father of biosensors’, the first man to come up with a ‘true’ biosensor in 1956 for oxygen detection. His invention of the oxygen electrode was named as ‘Clark electrode’. This biosensor contains platinum (Pt) electrodes to detect oxygen. Glucose oxidase (GOD) enzyme was trapped on a piece of dialysis membrane and placed very close to the surface of the platinum electrode. Glucose oxidase is reduced by reacting with glucose to form gluconic acid, two electrons, and two protons. The reduced GOD, the electrons, protons, and the surrounding oxygen all react to yield hydrogen peroxide and the reduced GOD is converted back into its original form which in turn oxidizes the remaining glucose.
What distinguishes Purdue Biosensor from the other biosensors?
According to Chi Hwan Lee, the inventor of the Purdue biosensor, simultaneous recording, and imaging during cardiac surgery could assist in identifying critical regions and guide surgical therapies like restoring normal heart rhythms. Traditional biosensors employed for recording and imaging tissues and organs have proven to be challenging because they frequently interrupt the imaging process. But, this biosensor is made up of poroelastic silicone composites. This ultra-soft, thin and stretchy biosensor is insensitive to mechanical strain, which can assist doctors in locating critical regions in tissues and organs and guiding surgical treatments such as operations to restore normal cardiac rhythm during the surgery. The biosensor can interface with the curved surface of an organ. Therefore during large mechanical deformations such as the cardiac cycle, simultaneous recording, and imaging to pinpoint is possible.
The biosensor adjusts to diverse sizes and forms of organs by using soft bioinks during rapid prototyping with a custom fit design. Bio-ink is softer than tissue, stretches without experiencing sensor degradation, and adheres reliably and naturally to the wet surface of organs without the need for additional glue. Using this biosensor myocardial infarction can be observed in real-time in 3D. The team has succeeded in locating the exact location of myocardial infarction using a prototype biosensor. Evaluation of the in vivo biocompatibility of the custom-printed devices and the effect on cardiac function are critical factors that ensure their long-term engraftment. Therefore, they evaluated the biosensor’s biocompatibility and biofouling preventing properties, as well as the effect of the biosensor on cardiac function. No significant adverse effects were detected. Several prototype biosensors using different shapes, sizes and configurations have been produced and have been tested in mice and pigs in vivo.
In a murine acute myocardial infarction model, simultaneous intraoperative monitoring of both epicardial ECG and ultrasound data shows that the Purdue Biosensor could be useful for high-fidelity real-time 3D cardiac mapping. The concept may be potentially expandable for continuous monitoring of lethal cardiac diseases through chronic implantation of the device and integration with current state-of-the-art means of wirelessly communicating power and data.
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Reference:
- Kim, B., Soepriatna, A. H., Park, W., Moon, H., Cox, A., Zhao, J., Gupta, N. S., Park, C. H., Kim, K., Jeon, Y., Jang, H., Kim, D. R., Lee, H., Lee, K. S., Goergen, C. J., & Lee, C. H. (2021). Rapid custom prototyping of soft poroelastic biosensor for simultaneous epicardial recording and imaging. Nature communications, 12(1), 3710. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23959-3
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