A strain-insensitive multiplexed soft microneedle patch for robust interstitial fluid biomarker monitoring
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
- 2Institute of Medical Equipment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
- 4Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232, Singapore
- 5Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore 119276, Singapore
- 6Advanced Research and Technology Innovation Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119276, Singapore
- 7Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
Abstract
Wearable microneedle sensors analyze biomarkers in situ from interstitial fluids (ISF), enabling minimally invasive, precise, and continuous monitoring of metabolic diseases. However, conventional designs either lack adequate conformability to skin or suffer from electrode fractures during skin penetration and body motion, leading to signal instability that undermines reliable multiparameter acquisition. Here, we present a fully integrated system with a soft microneedle sensor array featuring nano-hill topographies on strain-resilient electrodes to delocalize strain via geometric confinement. This design reduces signal variability by 14-fold compared to conventional designs, enabling stable, simultaneous in situ monitoring of multiple ISF biomarkers. It achieves clinical-grade accuracy for continuous glucose monitoring (mean absolute relative difference of 10.8%) and captures dynamic synchronized variations in glucose, local tissue pH, and temperature in a living subject in real time. The system integrates a reusable electronic module with a disposable microneedle array with a sensor footprint of just 1.8 cm2. By combining high signal stability with multiparameter synchrony in a compact form factor, this system offers a practical solution for reliable, real-time ISF analysis under dynamic in vivo conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{qiao2026straininsensitive,
title = {{A strain-insensitive multiplexed soft microneedle patch for robust interstitial fluid biomarker monitoring}},
author = {Zheng Qiao and Shuwen Chen and Shuoyan Liu and Leigh Edward Madden and Shicheng Fan and Lanfeng Liang and Mui Hoon Nai and Baobao Lin and Zixiong Wu and Zhijie Li and David Lawrence Becker and Changsheng Wu and Chwee Teck Lim},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2611528123},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2611528123},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A strain-insensitive multiplexed soft microneedle patch for robust interstitial fluid biomarker monitoring
AU - Zheng Qiao
AU - Shuwen Chen
AU - Shuoyan Liu
AU - Leigh Edward Madden
AU - Shicheng Fan
AU - Lanfeng Liang
AU - Mui Hoon Nai
AU - Baobao Lin
AU - Zixiong Wu
AU - Zhijie Li
AU - David Lawrence Becker
AU - Changsheng Wu
AU - Chwee Teck Lim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2611528123
UR - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2611528123
AB - Wearable microneedle sensors analyze biomarkers in situ from interstitial fluids (ISF), enabling minimally invasive, precise, and continuous monitoring of metabolic diseases. However, conventional designs either lack adequate conformability to skin or suffer from electrode fractures during skin penetration and body motion, leading to signal instability that undermines reliable multiparameter acquisition. Here, we present a fully integrated system with a soft microneedle sensor array featuring nano-hill topographies on strain-resilient electrodes to delocalize strain via geometric confinement. This design reduces signal variability by 14-fold compared to conventional designs, enabling stable, simultaneous in situ monitoring of multiple ISF biomarkers. It achieves clinical-grade accuracy for continuous glucose monitoring (mean absolute relative difference of 10.8%) and captures dynamic synchronized variations in glucose, local tissue pH, and temperature in a living subject in real time. The system integrates a reusable electronic module with a disposable microneedle array with a sensor footprint of just 1.8 cm2. By combining high signal stability with multiparameter synchrony in a compact form factor, this system offers a practical solution for reliable, real-time ISF analysis under dynamic in vivo conditions.
SN - 0027-8424
SN - 1091-6490
ER -