Manufacturable Flexible Hybrid Oral Biochemistry Sensing System (invited)

Abstract

PARC and UCSD are developing a flexible-hybrid electronics (FHE) biosensor platform to enable continuous remote monitoring of bioanalyte concentrations in saliva. Saliva is favorable for biosensing because of its accessibility and the strong correlation with blood concentrations of important analytes. Chronoamperometry based on enzymatic oxidation of target species has been demonstrated to have high sensitivity and capability for quantification of analyte concentrations. The electrochemical sensor system will be fabricated on a small, flexible plastic foil for mounting on a mouth guard, and enable continuous sensing of lactate, glucose, or other analytes. To fabricate the system, PARC is developing a semi-automated FHE process for placing and connecting discrete electronic components on printed interconnect. Sensor electrodes can be customized for various analytes through changing the enzyme layer and are replaceable. Saliva is a complex fluid and prone to biofouling. This is addressed with the development of protective coatings to enable continuous operation for at least eight hours. The electronics are protected from the saliva protected by an encapsulant, and the batteries are wirelessly rechargeable. Remote readout is through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication. This talk will present an overview of the biosensor system, FHE fabrication, and discuss current progress.