Low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC)-based biosensor for continuous glucose monitoring

This article presents design, fabrication and testing of a miniature ceramic-based biosensor which is destined for continuous glucose monitoring. It is fabricated using well known LTCC (low temperature co-fired ceramics) technology. The biosensor consists of a microreaction chamber, three thick-film electrodes and a microdialysis tube. The detection process is based on oxidation of glucose by molecular oxygen in the presence of enzyme – glucose oxidase, GOx. One of the reaction products is a hydrogen peroxide which is detected amperometrically during its oxidation at a working electrode. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was used for optimization of the biosensor geometry and considerations of the influence of operating conditions (flow rate) on mass transfer (diffusion) of the glucose within the microreaction chamber. Tests of the developed LTCC-based biosensor indicate its linear response to glucose concentration up to 9 mM with a relatively high sensitivity of about 147 nA/mM. Moreover, the properties of the presented ceramic biosensor are compared with properties of a similar device made in silicon/glass and in Perspex®.