Issue 17, 2024

Integration of 3D printed Mg2+ potentiometric sensors into microfluidic devices for bioanalysis

Abstract

Electrochemical sensors provide an affordable and reliable approach towards the detection and monitoring of important biological species ranging from simple ions to complex biomolecules. The ability to miniaturize electrochemical sensors, coupled with their affordability and simple equipment requirements for signal readout, permits the use of these sensors at the point-of-care where analysis using non-invasively obtainable biofluids is receiving growing interest by the research community. This paper describes the design, fabrication, and integration of a 3D printed Mg2+ potentiometric sensor into a 3D printed microfluidic device for the quantification of Mg2+ in low-sample volume biological fluids. The sensor employs a functionalized 3D printable photocurable methacrylate-based ion-selective membrane affixed to a carbon-mesh/epoxy solid-contact transducer for the selective determination of Mg2+ in sweat, saliva and urine. The 3D printed Mg2+ ion-selective electrode (3Dp-Mg2+-ISE) provided a Nernstian response of 27.5 mV per decade with a linear range of 10 mM to 39 μM, covering the normal physiological and clinically relevant levels of Mg2+ in biofluids. 3Dp-Mg2+-ISEs selectively measure Mg2+ over other biologically present cations – sodium, potassium, calcium, ammonium – as well as provide high stability in the analytical signal with a drift of just 13 μV h−1 over 10 hours. Comparison with poly(vinylchloride)-based Mg2+-ISEs showed distinct advantages to the use of 3Dp-Mg2+-ISEs, with respect to stability, resilience towards biofouling and importantly providing a streamlined and rapid approach towards mass production of selective and reliable sensors. The miniaturization capabilities of 3D printing coupled with the benefits of microfluidic analysis (i.e., low sample volumes, minimal reagent consumption, automation of multiple assays, etc.), provides exciting opportunities for the realization of the next-generation of point-of-care diagnostic devices.

Graphical abstract: Integration of 3D printed Mg2+ potentiometric sensors into microfluidic devices for bioanalysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 May 2024
Accepted
22 Jul 2024
First published
26 Jul 2024

Lab Chip, 2024,24, 4096-4104

Integration of 3D printed Mg2+ potentiometric sensors into microfluidic devices for bioanalysis

S. Farahani, D. L. Glasco, M. M. Elhassan, P. Sireesha and J. G. Bell, Lab Chip, 2024, 24, 4096 DOI: 10.1039/D4LC00407H

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