Research Marc Parrilla Pons

Abstract

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has the potential to improve patients' quality of life and reduce the healthcare burden. Current TDM methods rely on embedded sensors in catheters or painful venous blood extraction with the analysis in centralised laboratories. This explains the need for non-invasive and real-time TDM through wearable and portable electrochemical devices. However, low limits of detection and continuous monitoring are still unsolved issues, with the biofouling process occurring at the electrode's surface being the main bottleneck. Therefore, the exploration of nanoporous gold (np-Au) as a functional material in microneedles (MN) will provide anti-biofouling features while exhibiting excellent analytical performance. Indeed, protein adsorption (the main cause of biofouling) only occurs at the outer level of the nanoporous material leaving most of the electroactive sites available for the electrochemical process. Microsen will elucidate: 1) the fundamental electrochemical processes at a nanoporous surface, 2) the relationship between the np-Au structure and protein adsorption, and 3) the enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the target molecules, methotrexate and esketamine, using np-Au. By doing, Microsen will introduce novel MN sensors for methotrexate and esketamine to allow long-term monitoring for painless TDM in chemotherapy and depression treatment respectively.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: De Wael Karolien
• Co-promoter: Bals Sara
• Fellow: Parrilla Pons Marc

Research team(s)

• Antwerp engineering, PhotoElectroChemistry & Sensing (A-PECS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This BOF Docpro project aims to design and characterise a wireless self-sufficient implantable sensor system. This system can be used both for continuous health monitoring as for the specific detection of biomarkers. More specifically, this research project will focus on lactate detection since it is a well-known biomarker for cancer, fatigue, infections and during anaesthesia. In order for the proposed system to thrive, three main aspects should be taken into consideration: in-body energy harvesting, communication, and biosensing. Each of these aspects has its own challenges. Communication needs to be ultra-low power and wireless and able to transmit the sensor data from within the body to a data sink outside the body. Self-sufficiency is also a very important aspect to keep the in-body devices up and running for an extensive amount of time without the need for an external battery source. Using in-body energy harvesting life-long monitoring becomes feasible. The energy harvesting and communication should also match with the biosensors that need to be designed specifically for the biomarker that needs to be monitored. This challenge is accompanied by the fact that the sensors need to be particularly small and low-power and match the energy capabilities of the self-sufficient system. Finally, the complete system should be designed in such a way that the human body does not reject its presence. The combination of these three main aspects introduces countless possibilities in many medical branches where current detection techniques are too shallow and often associated with excessive radiation exposure. Moreover, abnormalities can be detected at an early stage which implies a higher possibility of effective treatment. In the state of the art some individual aspects are already investigated and show great potential. The main challenge and innovation of this DOCPRO proposal is the system design integrating both the in-body energy harvesting (using a hybrid triboelectric nanogenerator and biofuel cell), the in-body communication (ideally using Bluetooth low energy) and the integration of the biosensor (lactate will be used for this investigation). The prototype needs to be characterised, so we have a clear view of the potential for further research. The proposed project will form the initial foundation for a new research-track within IDLab. It will be the first step in a trajectory of interdisciplinary research concerning IDLab (Internet Data Lab) and AXES (Antwerp X-ray analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Weyn Maarten
• Co-promoter: Parrilla Pons Marc
• Fellow: Johns Maby

Research team(s)

• Internet Data Lab (IDLab)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has the potential to improve patient outcomes and dramatically reduce healthcare burden. Still, wearable devices have yet to break through the clinical application of TDM. Today, current TDM methods rely on embedded sensors in catheters or venous blood extraction which is analysed in centralised laboratories. Therefore, there is an unmet need to provide non-invasive and real-time monitoring of therapeutic drugs to address individualized doseresponse characteristics of drugs. This necessity will be addressed by Therasen which aims to contribute with innovative closed-loop sensing and delivery microneedle (MN)-based devices toward a patient-specific therapy. Hence, MN electrochemical drug devices are introduced here as a cutting edge technology to enhance patient compliance and yield optimal therapies. Therasen tackles: (i) affordable and scalable microfabrication methods of MN patches, (ii) functionalisation of MN electrodes with engineered nanomaterials and polymers for monitoring therapeutic levels of methotrexate and esketamine in the interstitial fluid of skin, (iii) development of MN drug delivery systems; and importantly (iv) validation methods of the closedloop MN-device (integration of electrochemical sensor and drug delivery system).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: De Wael Karolien
• Fellow: Parrilla Pons Marc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project