3D Printed Hydrogel-Based Biosensors for Wearable Applications

Abstract

The ability to manufacture sensors rapidly and cost-effectively is essential for creating devices that would benefit healthcare, medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and process industries. Because of the inherent complexity of sensing devices, new fabrication methods are needed to create sensors that could be fabricated in large scale and with high efficiency. Additive manufacturing techniques like 3D printing and 3D bioprinting enable printing of different biomaterials into intricate 3D architectures which could serve as sensing platforms. This presentation will describe the development and optimization of 3D printed hydrogel-based (bio)sensors with incorporated receptor molecules and transduction interfaces. In order to 3D print these sensors, an extrusion-based 3D bioprinter, and a computer-aided designing software were used along with a novel bio-ink formulation, which contains enzymes, catalytic and photoactive properties. The optimum hydrogel composite provided excellent mechanical properties to the printed biosensors enabling them to be used in a wide range of wearable applications. Fabrication and performance characteristics of two types of sensors will be presented: a lactate sensor for measuring physiological activity in sweat and a UV sensor for measuring harmful UV radiation exposure. The proposed sensors are reagent-less and highly portable making them ideal for use as wearable devices and printed biocatalytic platforms for portable bioelectronics. Examples of applications of these additively manufactured sensors for monitoring different analytes will be discussed. Figure 1