Chronical obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by impaired gas exchange and the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2), and as the disease progresses or during acute exacerbations, it can lead to respiratory failure characterized by hyp...
Chronical obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by impaired gas exchange and the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2), and as the disease progresses or during acute exacerbations, it can lead to respiratory failure characterized by hypercapnia. Continuous assessment of CO2 levels in such respiratory failure states is considered an important factor for evaluating the patient's respiratory status and monitoring clinical progression. However, the methods currently used in clinical settings for CO2 assessment have several limitations. Arterial blood gas analysis, the clinical standard for CO2 evaluation, is invasive and therefore unsuitable for repeated or continuous monitoring. In contrast, noninvasive methods such as end-tidal CO2 and transcutaneous CO2 monitoring are limited in measurement consistency and accuracy due to influences from skin condition, peripheral blood flow variations, and respiratory factors.
In this study, an electrochemical microneedle (MN) sensor capable of minimally invasive and continuous CO2 monitoring was developed to address these limitations. The MN surface was modified with amine-functionalized MXene (MXene-NH2) to enhance electrical conductivity and to provide active sites for enzyme immobilization. Formate dehydrogenase (FDH) was immobilized on a gold-based MN electrode modified with MXene-NH2 together with the cofactor NAD+ and the redox mediator neutral red (NR), thereby constructing an enzyme-based electron transfer system that mediates the CO2 reduction reaction.
The developed MN sensor exhibited a clear concentration-dependent current response to changes in CO2 concentration within the physiological range and demonstrated excellent sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and operational stability. This study presents an electrochemical MN platform that enables minimally invasive and continuous monitoring of CO2 status and suggests potential applicability for the diagnosis of hypercapnic respiratory failure and for respiratory status monitoring in COPD patients.