Research Appraisals
Evidence-based critical appraisals of the latest medical research, systematically evaluated using Oxford CEBM methodology.
Showing 2 appraisals
Analytical chemistry
Wearable and Multimodal Electrochemical Hydrogel Sensor for Real-Time Non-Invasive Sweat Glucose Monitoring
Noninvasive sweat glucose monitoring is a promising strategy for real-time health management. In this study, we developed a flexible electrochemical sensor platform based on gold nanorods@polylysine-glucose oxidase (AuNRs@PLL-GOx) composite hydrogel, which enables noninvasive, highly sensitive, and multimode detection of sweat glucose. The polylysine (PLL) interfacial layer provides abundant amino groups for glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilization, improves the dispersion of gold nanorods (AuNRs) within the hydrogel matrix, and facilitates interfacial charge transport by maintaining close contact between GOx and the conductive AuNRs network. These effects improve the electron-transfer efficiency and analytical performance of the hydrogel sensor. Furthermore, the platform integrates differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry (i-t) within a single hydrogel system for sweat glucose monitoring. Benefiting from synergistic and multitechnique detection, the sensor demonstrated excellent analytical performance, including wide detection range (up to 160 μM), low detection limit (3.71 μM), and strong anti-interference capability. These results indicate that this hydrogel-based platform is well suited for future wearable biosensors and smart healthcare systems.
30 July 2026
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Functional wearable hydrogel microneedle platform for continuous ketone monitoring: Translating from rodents to humans.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of diabetes, driven by excessive ketone production; it is most common in type 1 diabetes. Continuous ketone monitoring (CKM) could enable earlier detection and prevention of DKA, yet no wearable CKM solution is clinically available. We present a wearable CKM patch that couples hydrogel microneedles (HMNs) for painless interstitial fluid (ISF) access with an enzymatic, electrochemical biosensor for on-patch detection of ketone bodies. The HMN patch and ketone biosensor were individually characterized and optimized in vitro, then integrated into a single platform. We validated the performance of the integrated CKM sensing patch across species: in vivo testing in healthy and diabetic rats, translation to a swine model, and a pilot evaluation in human participants. The CKM sensing patch reliably tracked dynamic ketone fluctuations in all models. To our knowledge, this is the first HMN-based biosensor tested in humans. These results establish a minimally invasive, wearable approach for continuous ketone tracking with the potential to transform outpatient DKA monitoring and early intervention.
16 July 2026
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