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Dermal tattoo biosensors for colorimetric metabolite detection

Dermal tattoo biosensors for colorimetric metabolite detection
Dermal tattoo biosensors for colorimetric metabolite detection

Tattooing is a ubiquitous body modification involving the injection of ink and/or dye pigments into the dermis. Biosensors in the form of tattoos can be used to monitor metabolites in interstitial fluid. Here, minimally invasive, injectable dermal biosensors were developed for measuring pH, glucose, and albumin concentrations. The dermal pH sensor was based on methyl red, bromothymol blue, and phenolphthalein, which responded to a pH range from 5.0 to 9.0. The dermal glucose sensor consisted of glucose oxidase, 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine, and peroxidase that detected concentrations up to 50.0 mmol L−1. The dermal albumin sensor consisted of 3′,3′′,5′,5′′-tetrachlorophenol-3,4,5,6-tetrabromosulfophthalein to measure concentrations up to 5.0 g L−1. The sensors were multiplexed in ex vivo skin tissue and quantitative readouts were obtained using a smartphone camera. These sensors can be used to manage of acid–base homeostasis, diabetes, and liver failure in point-of-care settings.

colorimetric sensors, dermatology, inks, photomedicine, tattoos
1433-7851
10506-10513
Yetisen, Ali K.
73141f83-3104-470a-bbf5-a7b42d9420a1
Moreddu, Rosalia
8a5d77bc-dac4-4966-baa3-be26c5eec1ef
Seifi, Sarah
aa01f7a4-8a51-45a1-b988-753347478218
Jiang, Nan
ef83d2d6-09b2-4d7a-845a-8ffbe8a67dd3
Vega, Katia
57a014fc-8f3e-4b15-8e4c-f05595cd2bfa
Dong, Xingchen
2e3b8094-4796-4092-a706-1435474c9e0d
Dong, Jie
17878af9-bcd2-4fe2-9959-a2ffbb108d92
Butt, Haider
4ffc26d6-273f-4684-a832-662bd055fc54
Jakobi, Martin
72323d1c-ea3f-4b2d-bf36-073a1e71891a
Elsner, Martin
883aaee9-6946-404d-9a8b-584be18b5bb9
Koch, Alexander W.
5a0acff7-a775-4cb9-bc5b-a4abc922f5de
Yetisen, Ali K.
73141f83-3104-470a-bbf5-a7b42d9420a1
Moreddu, Rosalia
8a5d77bc-dac4-4966-baa3-be26c5eec1ef
Seifi, Sarah
aa01f7a4-8a51-45a1-b988-753347478218
Jiang, Nan
ef83d2d6-09b2-4d7a-845a-8ffbe8a67dd3
Vega, Katia
57a014fc-8f3e-4b15-8e4c-f05595cd2bfa
Dong, Xingchen
2e3b8094-4796-4092-a706-1435474c9e0d
Dong, Jie
17878af9-bcd2-4fe2-9959-a2ffbb108d92
Butt, Haider
4ffc26d6-273f-4684-a832-662bd055fc54
Jakobi, Martin
72323d1c-ea3f-4b2d-bf36-073a1e71891a
Elsner, Martin
883aaee9-6946-404d-9a8b-584be18b5bb9
Koch, Alexander W.
5a0acff7-a775-4cb9-bc5b-a4abc922f5de

Yetisen, Ali K., Moreddu, Rosalia, Seifi, Sarah, Jiang, Nan, Vega, Katia, Dong, Xingchen, Dong, Jie, Butt, Haider, Jakobi, Martin, Elsner, Martin and Koch, Alexander W. (2019) Dermal tattoo biosensors for colorimetric metabolite detection. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 58 (31), 10506-10513. (doi:10.1002/anie.201904416).

Record type: Review

Abstract

Tattooing is a ubiquitous body modification involving the injection of ink and/or dye pigments into the dermis. Biosensors in the form of tattoos can be used to monitor metabolites in interstitial fluid. Here, minimally invasive, injectable dermal biosensors were developed for measuring pH, glucose, and albumin concentrations. The dermal pH sensor was based on methyl red, bromothymol blue, and phenolphthalein, which responded to a pH range from 5.0 to 9.0. The dermal glucose sensor consisted of glucose oxidase, 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine, and peroxidase that detected concentrations up to 50.0 mmol L−1. The dermal albumin sensor consisted of 3′,3′′,5′,5′′-tetrachlorophenol-3,4,5,6-tetrabromosulfophthalein to measure concentrations up to 5.0 g L−1. The sensors were multiplexed in ex vivo skin tissue and quantitative readouts were obtained using a smartphone camera. These sensors can be used to manage of acid–base homeostasis, diabetes, and liver failure in point-of-care settings.

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More information

Published date: 29 July 2019
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Keywords: colorimetric sensors, dermatology, inks, photomedicine, tattoos

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 503363
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503363
ISSN: 1433-7851
PURE UUID: dc3e88c0-4efd-4831-80a0-714aadd47c11
ORCID for Rosalia Moreddu: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0332-1606

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 29 Jul 2025 17:03
Last modified: 30 Jul 2025 02:14

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Contributors

Author: Ali K. Yetisen
Author: Rosalia Moreddu ORCID iD
Author: Sarah Seifi
Author: Nan Jiang
Author: Katia Vega
Author: Xingchen Dong
Author: Jie Dong
Author: Haider Butt
Author: Martin Jakobi
Author: Martin Elsner
Author: Alexander W. Koch

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