Dual-Needle Field-Effect Transistor Biosensor for In Vivo pH Monitoring

Abstract

Local pH of the brain microenvironment is a prominent indicator for assessing health status and is closely related to many diseases; therefore, the development of effective in vivo pH methods is of great importance. This work demonstrates a dual-needle biosensor based on a solution-gate field-effect transistor (FET) for selective and sensitive monitoring of pH in cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system. The sensor consists of two parts: a needle FET modified with high-purity carbon nanotubes for electrical signal conduction and a needle gate modified with polyaniline for specific pH response. Based on the device's specific shape and sensing characteristics, the dual-needle sensor is sensitive to the measurement of pH in the living brain while maintaining excellent stability. The prepared dual-needle biosensor exhibits a high Nernstian response of 53.7 mV/pH over a wide pH range from 4.0 to 9.0 and excellent selectivity toward pH against other potential interfering species in the brain. Either in the case of directly injecting weak acids and bases into the rat brain or in the constructed acute acid-base poisoning model, the dual-needle biosensor can respond sensitively to the pH changes of the rat brain. This work has produced a unique dual-needle FET biosensor with high reliability and stability, which provides a new method for real-time monitoring of dynamic pH changes in the body.