Biosensor materials and methods

Sensocure AS is a medical device company that develops and manufactures biomedical sensors for clinical applications. IscAlert is a real-time pCO2 sensor developed to provide an early warning of ischemia, a condition whereby restricted blood flow causes body tissues and organs to deteriorate and die due to oxygen deprivation. Ischemia may cause tissue infarctions like stroke and myocardial infarction and other organ infarctions are common complication after surgery and trauma. Indeed, ischemia is the number one killer worldwide. An early warning of ischemia allows for early treatment and reversal of the incurred damage, which may help saving patients' health, lives and considerable health care expenses. The technology platform offers a miniaturized, disposable sensor technology with a wide range of medical applications. The present sensor concept includes a minute liquid volume used as a sensing agent, and is currently the best option for a miniaturized sensor. However, the incorporation of a liquid in this form poses some challenges related to function, sterilization, transportation, storage and shelf-life. In this project Sensocure is working towards a brand new biocompatible semi-solid sensor technology for the ischemia sensor principle, using new materials and methods for encapsulation, assembly and packaging. Studies have been made on nanostructured materials for biomedical use, allowing semi-solid reaction mediums. The project has achieved a thorough understanding of the above by systematic R&D efforts and through the use of literature research, interaction with world leading researchers through international networks of project participants, performing material studies, model building, modelling and simulation, and testing through proof-of-principle and proof of concept modules. Specifically, a host of candidate materials have been thoroughly evaluated, with emphasis on suitability; e.g. functionality, biocompatibility, processability and availability. The results from these evaluations yielded the basis for selecting a smaller number of materials and concepts that were included in proof of principle (POP) and proof of concept (POC) studies. The project has successfully shown pathways and methods for manufacturing pCO2 sensors based on the concept of a semi-solid sensing medium.

Sensocure AS is a medical device company that develops and manufactures biomedical sensors for clinical applications. IscAlert is a real-time PCO2 sensor developed to provide an early warning of ischemia, a condition whereby restricted blood flow cause body tissues and organs to deteriorate and die due to oxygen deprivation. Ischemia may cause tissue infarctions like stroke and cardiac arrest and is a common complication after surgery and organ/tissue trauma. Indeed, ischemia is the number 1 killer in the worldwide. An early warning of ischemia allows for early treatment and reversal of the incurred damage, which may help saving patients' health, lives and considerable health care expenses. The technology platform offers a miniaturized, disposable sensor technology with a wide range of medical applications. The present sensor concept includes a minute liquid volume used as a sensing agent, and is currently the best option for a miniaturized sensor. However, the incorporation of a liquid in this form poses some challenges related to function, sterilization, transportation, storage and shelf-life. Thus, this project will develop a brand new biocompatible semi-solid sensor technology for the ischemia sensor principle, and investigate new methods for encapsulation, assembly and packaging. The project will investigate the suitability of different gelation substances for this particular sensor principle, and build on recent developments in use of novel materials, such as e.g. block copolymers for biomedical use. Particularly interesting here are developments of supramolecular hydrogels that allow semi-wet reaction mediums. Use of such a semi-solid technology will enable radically different assembly and encapsulation methods, has the potential for improving manufacturing yields, increasing automation and lowering costs. Increased mechanical stability allows sensors for new applications and new markets, increased shelf-life and lower transport complexity.