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Microfluidic chip connected to porous microneedle array for continuous ISF sampling

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Abstract

Minimally invasive biosensing using microneedles (MNs) is a desirable technology for continuous healthcare monitoring. Among a wide range of MNs, porous MNs are expected to be applied for sampling of interstitial fluids (ISF) by connecting the internal tissue to external measurement devices. In order to realize a continuous measurement of biomarkers in ISF through porous MNs, their integration with a microfluidic chip is a promising approach due to its applicability to micro-total analysis system (μTAS) technology. In this study, we developed a fluidic system to directly interface porous MNs to a microfluidic chip consisting of a capillary pump for the continuous sampling of ISF. The porous and flexible MNs made of PDMS are connected to the microfluidic chip fabricated by standard microelectro-mechanical system (MEMS) processes, showing a continuous flow of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The developed device will lead to the minimally invasive and continuous biosampling for long-term healthcare monitoring.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [author initials], upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the JSPS Core-to-Core Program (A. Advanced Research Networks).

Funding

This work was partially supported by the JSPS Core-to-Core Program (A. Advanced Research Networks) and the Precise Measurement Technology Promotion Foundation (PMTP-F).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Kai Takeuchi, Nobuyuki Takama & Beomjoon Kim

  2. Collarborative Research Center, Meisei University, Tokyo, Japan

    Kai Takeuchi & Tadatomo Suga

  3. Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Kirti Sharma, Oliver Paul & Patrick Ruther

  4. Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Kirti Sharma, Oliver Paul & Patrick Ruther

Authors
  1. Kai Takeuchi
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  2. Nobuyuki Takama
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  3. Kirti Sharma
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  4. Oliver Paul
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  5. Patrick Ruther
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  6. Tadatomo Suga
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  7. Beomjoon Kim
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by K. Takeuchi, N. Takama, and BJ. Kim. The first draft of the manuscript was written by K. Takeuchi, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kai Takeuchi.

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Takeuchi, K., Takama, N., Sharma, K. et al. Microfluidic chip connected to porous microneedle array for continuous ISF sampling. Drug Deliv. and Transl. Res. 12, 435–443 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13346-021-01050-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13346-021-01050-0

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