Fabrication of a Flexible Amperometric Glucose Sensor Using Additive Processes

This study details the use of printing and other additive processes to fabricate a novel amperometric glucose sensor. The sensor was fabricated using a Au coated 12.7 mu m thick polyimide substrate as a starting material, where micro-contact printing, electrochemical plating, chloridization, electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing, and spin coating were used to pattern, deposit, chloridize, print, and coat functional materials, respectively. We have found that e-jet printing was effective for the deposition and patterning of glucose oxidase inks with lateral feature sizes between similar to 5 to 1000 mu m in width, and that the glucose oxidase was still active after printing. The thickness of the permselective layer was optimized to obtain a linear response for glucose concentrations up to 32 mM and no response to acetaminophen, a common interfering compound, was observed. The use of such thin polyimide substrates allow wrapping of the sensors around catheters with high radius of curvature similar to 250 mu m, where additive and microfabrication methods may allow significant cost reductions. (C) 2015 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.