Minimally-invasive microneedle-based biosensor array for simultaneous lactate and glucose monitoring in artificial interstitial fluid

Here we report the first mediated pain free microneedle‐based biosensor array for the continuous and simultaneous monitoring of lactate and glucose in artificial interstitial fluid (ISF). The gold surface of the microneedles has been modified by electrodeposition of Au‐multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and successively by electropolymerization of the redox mediator, methylene blue (MB). Functionalization of the Au‐MWCNTs/polyMB platform with the lactate oxidase (LOX) enzyme (working electrode 1) and with the FAD‐Glucose dehydrogenase (FADGDH) enzyme (working electrode 2) enabled the continuous monitoring of lactate and glucose in the artificial ISF. The lactate biosensor exhibited a high sensitivity (797.4±38.1 μA cm−2 mM−1), a good linear range (10–100 μM) with a detection limit of 3 μM. The performance of the glucose biosensor were also good with a sensitivity of 405.2±24.1 μA cm−2 mM−1, a linear range between 0.05 and 5 mM and a detection limit of 7 μM. The biosensor array was tested to detect the amount of lactate generated after 100 minutes of cycling exercise (12 mM) and of glucose after a normal meal for a healthy patient (10 mM). The results reveal that the new microneedles‐based biosensor array seems to be a promising tool for the development of real‐time wearable devices with a variety of sport medicine and clinical care applications.