Humidity ‐Insensitive Tissue Oxygen Tension Sensing for Wearable Devices†

Highly breathable, oxygen ‐sensing films exhibit bright phosphorescence upon de‐oxygenation, visible with the naked eye. The photograph was taken with a cell phone camera, and the dye was excited with a handheld blue LED flashlight. Integrated spectra show a change in phosphorescence intensity of over 2000% in such films upon deoxygenation. The response is not affected by changes in humidity. AbstractQuantification of tissue oxygen partial pressure (pO2) at the skin surface is crucial for diagnostic applications in burns, reconstructive surgeries, diabetic ulcers, etc. Further, current advances in wearable and communications technologies have widened the use of transcutaneous oxygen monitors (TCOM) for home care or even enhance athletic performance. For TCOM technology to find widespread use, devices must function reliably yet independently of changes in environmental conditions, humidity in particular. To this end, we have explored the incorporation of an oxygen ‐sensing metalloporphyrin within different host matrix materials of different compositions with the goal of overcoming the humidity sensitivity of previously explored oxygen‐sensing materials. We developed a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)‐based, highly breathable, oxygen‐sensing metalloporp hyrin polymer film which responds to changes in oxygenation independent of humidity.
Source: Photochemistry and Photobiology - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Special Issue Research Article Source Type: research