Abstract
A flexible polymer tube lab-chip integrated with physical and biochemical sensor modules mounted on a flexible spiral structure for measuring physiological (temperature/flow rate) and metabolic data (glucose concentration) in a catheter application was designed, fabricated and characterized in this work. This new approach not only provides a unique way to assemble multiple sensors on both the inside and outside the flexible polymer tube using standard microfabrication methods while avoiding wiring and assembling problems associated with previous methods, but also maintains catheter inherent lumen potency for in situ drug delivery or insertion of medical tools. Three well-known sensors: temperature sensor (RTD), flow rate sensor (hot film anemometry) and glucose biosensor (amperometric sensor) have been successfully fabricated and fully integrated outside the spirally rolled polymer tube (ID = 500 μm, OD = 650 μm) of this demonstration device. The fabricated sensors showed good performances not only in a planar configuration but also in a spirally rolled configuration. This flexible micro tube lab-chip system provides a generic platform for developing patient-specific “smart” microcatheters that incorporate microsensors, microactuators, microfluidic devices and wireless signal communication modules that are tailored for the patients’ unique condition.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
P.J. French, D. tanase, J.F.L. Goosen, Sensors for catheter applications Sen. Updat. 13, 107–153 (2003)
C. Gao, J.W. Choi, M. Dutta, S. Chilukuru, J.H. Nevin, J.Y. Lee, P. Bissel, C.H. Ahn, A fully integrated biosensor array for measurement of metabolic parameters in human blood. Proceedings of 2nd Annual International IEEE-EMBS Special Topic Conference of Microtechnologies in Medicine & Biology (Madison, USA, 2002), pp. 223–226
C. Gao, X. Zhu, M. Dutta, S. Chilukuru, J.H. Nevin, J.W. Choi, C.H. Ahn, Development of inexpensive biosensor array for point-of-care testing. Proceedings of Micro Total Analysis Systems 2003 (μTAS2003) (Squaw Valley, USA, 2003), pp. 797–800
J.F.L. Goosen, Design considerations for silicon sensors for use in catheters and guide wires Smart Mater. Struct. 11, 804–812 (2002)
J.F.L. Goosen, P.J. French, Integrated multiple blood parameter sensor for use in a catheter, Proc. SMIT/CIMIT (Boston, USA, 1999), p L/T-06
J.F.L. Goosen, P.J. French, P.M. Sarro, Pressure and flow sensor for use in catheters SPIE 3876, 38–45 (1999)
J.F.L. Goosen, P.J. French, P.M. Sarro, Pressure, flow and oxygen saturation sensors on one chip for use in catheters. Proc. MEMS (Miyaaki, Japan, 2000) pp. 537–540
Y. Haga, M. Esashi, Biomedical microsystems for minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment Proc. IEEE 92, 98–114 (2004)
D.S. Kim, S.H. Lee, T.H. Kwon, C.H. Ahn, A serpentine laminating micromixer combining splitting/recombination and advection Lab Chip 5, 739–747 (2005)
H. Kudo, T. Sawada, E. Kazawa, H. Yoshida, Y. Iwasaki, K. Misubayashi, A flexible and wearable glucose sensor based on functional polymers with soft-MEMS techniques Biosens. Bioelectron. 22, 558–562 (2006)
C. Li, J. Han, C.H. Ahn, Flexible biosensors on spirally rolled micro tube for cardiovascular in vivo monitoring Biosens. Bioelectron. 22, 1988–1993 (2007)
C. Li, C. Gao, J. Han, C.H. Ahn, A new spirally-rolled polymer microtube with biosensors for smart microcatheter. Proceedings of Micro Total Analysis Systems 2005 (μTAS2005) (Squaw Valley, USA, 2005a), pp. 1203–1205
C. Li, F.E. Sauser, R.G. Azizkhan, C.H. Ahn, I. Papautsky, Polymer flip-chip bonding of pressure sensors on a flexible Kapton film for neonatal catheters J. Micromechanics Microengineering 15, 1729–1735 (2005b)
P. Ligeza, A modified temperature-compensation circuit for CTA Meas. Sci. Technol. 9, 452–457 (1998)
K. Mitsubayashi, S. Iguchi, T. Endo, S. Tanimoto, D. Murotomi, Flexible glucose sensor with a film-type oxygen electrode by microfabrication techniques. Proceedings of Transducers’03 (Boston, USA, 2003a), pp. 1201–1204
K. Mitsubayashi, Y. Wakabayashi, S. Tanimoto, D. Murotomi, T. Endo, Optical-transparent and flexible glucose sensor with ITO electrode Biosens. Bioelectron. 19, 67–71 (2003b)
P. Mirtaheri, T. Omtveit, T. Klotzbuecher, S. Grimmes, Martinsen, T.I. TØnnessen, Miniaturization of a biomedical gas sensor Physiol. Meas. 25, 1511–1522 (2004)
S. Nakagawa, H. Ozasa, H. Misawa, Development of micro-wiring on the outer wall of a catheter. Proceedings of Sixth International Symposium on Micro Machine and Human Science, pp. 137–143 (1995)
B. Yu, N. Long, Y. Moussy, F. Moussy, A long-term flexible minimally-invasive implantable glucose biosensor based on an epoxy-enhanced polyurethane membrane Biosens. Bioelectron. 21, 2275–2282 (2006)
B. Yu, Y. Moussy, F. Mousy, Lifetime improvement of glucose biosensor by epoxy-enhanced PVC membrane Electroanalysis 17, 1771–1779 (2005)
S. Zhang, S.P. Schneider, S.H. Collicott, Quantitative molecular mixing measurements using digital processing of absorption images Exp. Fluids 19, 319–327 (1995)
Acknowledgments
This work has been partially supported from NSF-P291-L856 project. The authors gratefully thank Mr. Andrew Browne and Dr. Jaephil Do at the University of Cincinnati for their technical assistance and valuable discussion.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, C., Wu, PM., Han, J. et al. A flexible polymer tube lab-chip integrated with microsensors for smart microcatheter. Biomed Microdevices 10, 671–679 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-008-9178-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-008-9178-3