Abstract

Printed Carbon Materials for Electroanalytical Diagnostics in Woundcare

Duncan Sharp, Senior Lecturer, Leeds Metropolitan University

The availability of cost-effective diagnostics could offer huge potential to improve healthcare practices, one key area that is currently lacking in available diagnostic technologies is woundcare; both to monitor healing progression and to enable the early identification of wound infection processes which could contribute towards improved wound management and earlier implementation of specific treatments.The research presented explores the proof-of-concept use of pad-printed carbon materials through their fundamental studies and development of potential sensors for in-situ electroanalysis. Pad-printing of conductive carbon-based inks offer the ability to produce cost-effective, flexible and easily modifiable electrodes, which are applicable to numerous biodetection and woundcare applications. Amongst those detailed are: the periodical monitoring for specific bacterial metabolites to aid in specific diagnoses (e.g. submicromolar concentrations of pyocyanin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and biomarkers indicative of more generic physiological changes associated colonisation and infection processes (e.g. sensitive pH monitoring). However, the further advantages and wider potential for pad-printed carbon based materials for electroanalytical, biodetection and biosensor technologies are discussed. The ability to print carbon-composites and layer-by-layer assembly using this thin-film fabrication technique offer new possibilities both for in-situ analyses and for more conventional in-vitro point-of-care diagnostic platforms.