Highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for uric acid using additively manufactured miniaturized microelectrodes for point-of-care applications

Abstract

Point-of-care (PoC) biofluid diagnostics is hindered by the fundamental limitations of traditional electrochemical platforms, namely, their complex fabrication, prohibitive costs, and reliance on benchtop instruments. To address these challenges, a simple additive manufacturing-based sensor fabrication strategy was used to develop a miniaturized platform compatible with portable electrochemical devices, creating an advanced diagnostic system capable of detecting hyperuricemia biomarkers in serum samples. In this work, a rapid and ultrasensitive diagnostic device utilizing a 3D-printed carbon conductive electrode with a carboxylic group-mediated enzymatic platform was developed to detect uric acid. This study introduces a highly sensitive 3D-printed microelectrode integrated with a wireless potentiostat for the rapid detection of uric acid (UA). The developed portable platform exhibits excellent analytical performance in the concentration range of 10–500 μM, with an ultralow detection limit of 7.95 μM achieved using chronoamperometry (CA) techniques. The device demonstrates improved selectivity, high sensitivity, and 28-day stability without interference. A real sample study was carried out using CA in a serum sample, and the recovery percentage was 97%. The results also illustrate seamless integration with a miniaturized electrochemical platform acquired using a portable potentiostat detection system and user-friendly operation. Overall, this platform enables the scalable and customizable fabrication of miniaturized biosensors, paving the way for decentralized clinical diagnostics, point-of-care testing, wearable health monitoring, and field-deployable biosensing applications.