Fetal ischemia monitoring with in vivo implanted electrochemical multiparametric microsensors

Journal of Biological Engineering

Sergio Berdún¹  Laura Pla¹  Miriam Illa¹  Eduard Gratacós²  Elisenda Eixarch²  Lourdes Rivas³  Samuel Dulay³  Mònica Mir⁴  Josep Samitier⁴ 

[1] Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal. Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Building Helios 2, Sabino Arana Street 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain;Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal. Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Building Helios 2, Sabino Arana Street 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain;Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain;Nanobioengineering group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain;Nanobioengineering group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain;Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11, 28029, Madrid, Spain;Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain;

关键词: Implantable sensor;    Ischemia detection;    Electrochemical biosensor;    pH and oxygen detection;    In vivo validation;    Tissue and vascular monitoring;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13036-021-00280-7

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Under intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), abnormal attainment of the nutrients and oxygen by the fetus restricts the normal evolution of the prenatal causing in many cases high morbidity being one of the top-ten causes of neonatal death. The current gold standards in hospitals to detect this relevant problem is the clinical observation by echography, cardiotocography and Doppler. These qualitative techniques are not conclusive and requires risky invasive fetal scalp blood testing and/or amniocentesis. We developed micro-implantable multiparametric electrochemical sensors for measuring ischemia in real time in fetal tissue and vascular. This implantable technology is designed to continuous monitoring for an early detection of ischemia to avoid potential fetal injury. Two miniaturized electrochemical sensors were developed based on oxygen and pH detection. The sensors were optimized in vitro under controlled concentration, to assess the selectivity and sensitivity required. The sensors were then validated in vivo in the ewe fetus model, by means of their insertion in the muscle leg and inside the iliac artery of the fetus. Ischemia was achieved by gradually obstructing the umbilical cord to regulate the amount of blood reaching the fetus. An important challenge in fetal monitoring is the detection of low levels of oxygen and pH changes under ischemic conditions, requiring high sensitivity sensors. Significant differences were observed in both; pH and pO2 sensors under changes from normoxia to hypoxia states in the fetus tissue and vascular with both sensors. Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of the developed sensors for future fetal monitoring in medical applications.

【 授权许可】

CC BY