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IMPLANTABLE CONDUCTING POLYMER MICROSENSORS FOR GLUCOSE
IMPLANTABLE GLUCOSE SENSORS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES. SMALL-SIZED PROBES WOULD REDUCE DISCOMFORT AND HEALTH RISK TO THE USER. A NEW MICROELECTRODE IS PLANNED TO FULFILL THIS NEED. THE MICROELECTRODE WILL UTILIZE GLUCOSE OXIDASE AND WILL INCORPORATE CRUCIAL ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY OVER EXISTING ENZYME ELECTRODES. IT WILL OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF OXYGEN CONCENTRATION WITH MINIMUM INTERFERENCE FROM OTHER COMPOUNDSIN BLOOD, AND IT WILL NOT USE POTENTIALLY TOXIC REAGENTS. THE APPROACH INVOLVES ENTRAPMENT (IMMOBILIZATION) OF GLUCOSE OXIDASE ONTO A THIN FILM OF AN ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTING ARGONIC POLYMER (I.E., AN "ORGANIC METAL"). A FUNDAMENTALLY NEW METHOD FOR THE FORMATION OF CONDUCTING POLYMERS HAS BEEN DEVISED BY LYNNTECH, INC. THIS NEW METHODIS IDEALLY SUITED FOR ENZYME IMMOBILIZATION ONTO MICROELECTRODES. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO CONSTRUCT MICROELECTRODES FOR SUBCUTANEOUS IMPLANTATION TO FACILITATE CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *