Publications by authors named "Rachel Unruh"
Article Synopsis
- Sensors that continuously monitor biochemistry are essential for personalized medicine, but low oxygen levels in tissues make it challenging for implanted devices to function effectively.
- The study introduces a method to create inorganic-organic interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels that enhance oxygen transport in injectable biosensors, leading to a significant increase in oxygen permeability.
- When these IPN hydrogels are used as implants in pigs, they effectively monitor tissue oxygen levels for 76 days while promoting healthy tissue growth and reducing scarring, indicating their potential for advanced biomedical applications.
An optical biosensor for lactate detection is described. By encapsulating enzyme-phosphor sensing molecules within permeable hydrogel materials, lactate-sensitive emission lifetimes were achieved. The relative amount of monomer was varied to compare three homo- and co-polymer materials: poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) and two copolymers of pHEMA and poly(acrylamide) (pAam).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) require percutaneous wire probes to monitor glucose. Sensors based on luminescent hydrogels are being explored as fully implantable alternatives to traditional CGMs. Our previous work investigated hydrogel matrices functionalized with enzymes and oxygen-quenched phosphors, demonstrating sensitivity to glucose, range of response, and biofouling strongly depend on the matrix material.
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