Monitoring of gut functions and inflammation processes with biomimetic sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers (R-4898)

This project aims at developing medical devices with diagnostic functionalities to be used in combination with intestinal catheters or implants. Our project is inspired by the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): IBS goes along with variations of the serotonin level in blood and enhanced release of immune markers (e.g. histamine) in the small intestine. For a correct diagnosis of IBS and related gastrointestinal disorders, and to evaluate the effect of treatments, it has high relevance to obtain physiological data on anomalous pH-values, immune markers, and the release of various secretions. It is established that intake of nondigestible carbohydrates results in increased intestinal amounts of butyric acid, which has beneficial effects on gut health. Until now, appropriate methods for measuring butyric-acid concentrations are unavailable and the development of a suitable biosensor is also foreseen in the project. The partners have already jointly developed in vitro tests for measuring serotoninand histamine levels in blood plasma and bowel fluids using an electronic sensor with molecularly-imprinted polymers (MIPs) as synthetic receptors. In this project, we will upgrade the concept towards a catheter-based, 'miniaturized diagnostic laboratory' operating inside the duodenum. This goes along with considerable challenges in sensor engineering and in the chemical synthesis of the MIP-based receptor layers. In turn, it will allow analysing the levels of histamine and butyric acid in real time and under actual digestion- and physiological circumstances. The grafting of MIP layers on sensor electrodes is an enabling step and, once this is solved for intestinal diagnostics, the concept will be transferred to monitoring inflammation processes associated with cochlear implants.

Keywords:Biomimetic sensors

Disciplines:Ceramic and glass materials, Materials science and engineering, Semiconductor materials