Fluorescence Lifetime-Based Glucose Sensing using NADH

Fluorescence lifetime-based glucose sensing does not depend on fluctuations of the intensity of the light source, light scattering, or changes in the transmission of optical components. Here we demonstrate the sensing of glucose based on the fluorescence lifetime properties of dihydro nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), which is reduced from NAD in the presence of glucose and glucose dehydrogenase. In particular we use the difference in the fluorescence properties of free and protein-bound NADH and calculate an average fluorescence lifetime, which arises from the two short lifetimes tau(1)=0.28ns and tau(2)=0.60ns (representing free NADH) and the longer lifetime of tau(3)=2.9ns (for the protein-bound NADH). While initial results were derived from measurements in aqueous solution, we also demonstrate the suitability of this method for determining the concentration of glucose in blood using test strips. We find that the average fluorescence lifetime changes linearly by a factor of 0.17 per 100mg/dl change in glucose concentration. As an alternative the ratio between free and protein-bound components R-s/l may also be used for quantification. R-s/l increases by a factor of 0.74 per 100mg/dl change in glucose concentration.