A self-powered and supercapacitive microneedle continuous glucose monitoring system with a wide range of glucose detection capabilities

Continuous detection of sudden changes in blood glucose is essential for individuals with diabetes who have difficulty in maintaining optimal control of their blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemic shock or a hyperglycemic crisis are likely to occurs in patients with diabetes and poses a significant threat to their lives. Currently, commercial continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has limits in the glucose concentration detection range, which is 40–500 mg/dL, making it difficult to prevent the risk of hyperglycemic shock. In addition, current CGMs are invasive, cause pain and irritation during usage, and expensive. In this research, we overcome these limitations by introducing a novel mechanism to detect glucose concentration using supercapacitors. The developed CGM, which is self-powered and minimally invasive due to the use of microneedles, can detect a wider range of glucose concentrations than commercial sensors. In addition, efficacy and stability were proven through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Thus, this self-powered, microneedle and supercapacitive-type CGM can potentially prevent both hypoglycemic and complications of hyperglycemia without pain and with less power consumption than current commercial sensors.