Continuous glucose monitoring with a flexible biosensor and wireless data acquisition system

Glucose is a central substance in the human metabolism, and its concentration in human body fluid can reflect various diseases and organ malfunctions. We demonstrate a thin, flexible sensor and an associated wireless readout integrated circuit (IC) that can be used to continuously monitor glucose level over a very wide glucose concentration range. The sensor is fabricated on flexible and robust graphene petals deposited on thin carbon fibers with biocompatible materials. Graphene petals offer sensitivity of 5.67 μAmM−1 cm-2 with a sensing range from 2 μM to 66 mM. Mechanical properties of the graphene petals provide a sensor lifetime exceeding four weeks. The readout IC harvests magnetic energy from a nearby power source, acquires glucose information, and wirelessly transmits data to the user. Linearity of analog/digital circuit blocks are verified by amperometric glucose measurements while consuming less than 21μW. The sensor and readout system can be readily integrated with other sensors or drug-delivery actuators for diagnosis and therapies for diabetes.