Visual Hydrogen Mapping Sensor for Noninvasive Monitoring of Bioresorbable Magnesium Implants In Vivo

Abstract

The biodegradation process of Mg alloys (LAZ611 and WKX41) has been monitored transdermally by using a visual H2 mapping sensor. The visual mapping sensor changes color from gray to dark blue upon exposure to H2 permeating through the skin generated by the degradation of Mg alloys implanted subcutaneously in mice in vivo. The visual H2 mapping sensor can provide three-dimensional H2 permeation maps using a simple procedure that is less time consuming compared with point measurements with an electrochemical H2 sensor. The results of this study demonstrate that the visual H2 mapping sensor has the capability to monitor the different biodegradation rates of Mg alloys in vivo. This detection method is simple, noninvasive, and low cost, does not use energetic radiation such as x-ray imaging, and moreover, requires no specialty training for operating personnel.