The innovative patch of Iranian researchers monitors the body remotely

A group of researchers in collaboration with Iranian researchers have developed a microneedle patch for monitoring pH, glucose and lactate remotely, which is connected to a mobile app and has the ability to deliver medicine to the body.

Telehealth monitoring is one of the main drivers for advancing health equity, bridging geographic and socioeconomic disparities. In addition, this process ensures equitable access to quality healthcare for people living in remote and underserved areas.

Meanwhile, microneedle patches (MNAs) transform the process of painless and minimally invasive access to the interstitial fluid for drug delivery and disease diagnosis.

In this regard, a group of researchers with the cooperation of Mohammad Rezaghi and Mostafa Azimzadeh and some other Iranian researchers have conducted a research and introduced an integrated theranostic MNA system that includes a set of colorimetric sensors to measure the amount of pH, glucose and lactate in Besides, it provides a system for remote and on-demand drug delivery.

The integration of the ultrasonic atomizer makes the process of drug transfer simple, fast and without the need for a pump and at the place of treatment, and on the other hand, it improves the portability of the system and reduces complications. Ultrasonic atomizers are used to produce a very fine spray of liquid, where by converting high-frequency sound waves into mechanical energy and transferring it to the liquid as it exits the nozzle, they produce a fine mist of uniform micron-sized droplets.

On the other hand, a mobile application with this system communicates with the sensor and drug transfer parts. This system can track pH (level 3 to 8), glucose (up to 16 mM level), and lactate (up to 1.6 mM level), and in addition evaluate the performance of the drug delivery system.

This innovative method solves the challenges of drug delivery, especially in the field of chronic diseases that require long-term care, and on the other hand, provides ways to non-invasively monitor a person’s health through microneedle-based sensors.