Microneedle sensors to measure body chemistry

A scanning electron micrograph of a hollow microneedle.

If all goes well with research at North Carolina State University (NC State), Sandia National Laboratories and the University of California, San Diego, doctors hopefully will be able to use non-invasive microneedles to detect real-time chemical changes in the body—continuously for an extended period of time, according to a Dec. 13 NC State news release.

Existing technology relies on taking samples and testing them to monitor, for instance, glucose levels in diabetic patients. With a wearable microneedle patch, on the other hand, sensors could be incorporated into something like a wristwatch and offer a pain-free monitoring solution.

“We’ve loaded the hollow channels within microneedles with electrochemical sensors that can be used to detect specific molecules or pH levels,” reported Dr. Roger Narayan, co-author of a paper describing the research.