A Distance-Based Microfluidic Paper-Based Biosensor for Glucose Measurements in Tear Range

Abstract

The prevalence of diabetes has increased over the past years. Therefore, developing minimally invasive, user-friendly, and cost-effective glucose biosensors is necessary especially in low-income and developing countries. Cellulose paper–based analytical devices have attracted the attention of many researchers due to affordability, not requiring trained personnel, and complex equipment. This paper describes a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) for detecting glucose concentration in tear range with the naked eye. The paper-based biosensor fabricated by laser CO2; and glucose oxidase/horseradish peroxidase (GOx/HRP) enzyme solution coupled with tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) were utilized as reagents. A sample volume of 10 μl was needed for the biosensor operation and the results were observable within 5 min. The color intensity–based and distance-based results were analyzed by ImageJ and Tracker to evaluate the device performance. Distance-based results showed a linear behavior in 0.1–1.2 mM with an R2 = 0.9962 and limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 mM. The results could be perceived by the naked eye without needing additional equipment or trained personnel in a relatively short time (3–5 min). © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.