Strain-insensitive and multiplexed potentiometric ion sensors via printed PMMA molecular layer

New trends in potentiometric sensors: From design to clinical and biomedical applications

Potentiometry, a well-established electrochemical technique, provides a powerful and versatile method for the sensitive and selective measurement of a variety of analytes by measuring the potential difference between two electrodes, allowing for a direct and rapid readout of ion concentrations. This makes it a valuable tool in a variety of applications including industry, agriculture, forensics, medical, environmental assessment, and pharmaceutical drug analysis, therefore it has received significant attention from the scientific community. Their broad implementation in sensing applications arises through their many benefits, including ease of design, fabrication, and modification; rapid response time; high selectivity; suitability for use with colored and/or turbid solutions; and potential for integration into embedded systems interfaces. Owing to these advantages and diverse applicability, sustained research and development in the field has resulted in the emergence of several notable trends in the field. 3D printing is the most recent technique used in potentiometry which offers many benefits such as improved flexibility and precision in the manufacturing of ion-selective electrodes and rapid prototyping decreases the time needed during optimization of important electrochemical parameters. Additionally, paper-based sensors are cost-effective and versatile platforms for in-field (point-of-care, POC) analysis, permitting rapid determination of a variety of analytes. One of the most interesting applications of potentiometry are wearable sensors which allow for the continuous monitoring of biomarkers, electrolytes and even pharmaceuticals, especially those with a narrow therapeutic index. Herein this review, we discuss several recent trends in potentiometric sensors since 2010, including 3D printing, paper-based devices, and other emerging techniques and the translation of potentiometric systems to wearable devices for the determination of ionic species or pharmaceuticals in biological fluids paving the way to various clinical and biomedical uses.

Recent advances in smart wearable sensors for continuous human health monitoring

In recent years, the biochemical and biological research areas have shown great interest in a smart wearable sensor because of its increasing prevalence and high potential to monitor human health in a non-invasive manner by continuous screening of biomarkers dispersed throughout the biological analytes, as well as real-time diagnostic tools and time-sensitive information compared to conventional hospital-centered system. These smart wearable sensors offer an innovative option for evaluating and investigating human health by incorporating a portion of recent advances in technology and engineering that can enhance real-time point-of-care-testing capabilities. Smart wearable sensors have emerged progressively with a mixture of multiplexed biosensing, microfluidic sampling, and data acquisition systems incorporated with flexible substrate and bodily attachments for enhanced wearability, portability, and reliability. There is a good chance that smart wearable sensors will be relevant to the early detection and diagnosis of disease management and control. Therefore, pioneering smart wearable sensors into reality seems extremely promising despite possible challenges in this cutting-edge technology for a better future in the healthcare domain. This review presents critical viewpoints on recent developments in wearable sensors in the upcoming smart digital health monitoring in real-time scenarios. In addition, there have been proactive discussions in recent years on materials selection, design optimization, efficient fabrication tools, and data processing units, as well as their continuous monitoring and tracking strategy with system-level integration such as internet-of-things, cyber-physical systems, and machine learning algorithms.