Haider Kazim, Dalton Colin
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Micromachines (Basel). 2025 Aug 13;16(8):929. doi: 10.3390/mi16080929.
Microneedles have emerged as a versatile technology for biosensing across biomedical domains and are increasingly being explored for other applications like agriculture. This review highlights recent advancements in the development of microneedle-based biosensors in novel areas. Biomedical applications include continuous glucose monitoring, multiplexed biomarker detection beyond glucose, and numerous recent works presenting fully integrated systems comprising microneedle arrays alongside miniaturized wearable electronics. Agricultural applications largely focus on the detection of plant growth markers, hormones, and nutrient levels. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in overcoming biofouling and electrode degradation, optimizing electrode longevity for long-term (weeks to months) in situ monitoring, and creating scalable sensor fabrication processes. Additionally, there is a need for standardized mechanical and electrical testing protocols, and guidelines specifying critical performance metrics that should be reported to facilitate accurate literature comparisons. The review concludes by outlining key opportunities for future research to address these persisting challenges.
微针已成为一种适用于跨生物医学领域进行生物传感的通用技术，并且正越来越多地被探索用于农业等其他应用。本综述重点介绍了新型领域中基于微针的生物传感器开发的最新进展。生物医学应用包括连续血糖监测、除葡萄糖之外的多重生物标志物检测，以及近期众多展示完全集成系统的研究工作，这些系统包括微针阵列以及小型化可穿戴电子设备。农业应用主要集中在植物生长标志物、激素和营养水平的检测上。尽管取得了重大进展，但在克服生物污垢和电极降解、优化电极寿命以进行长期（数周至数月）原位监测，以及创建可扩展的传感器制造工艺方面仍存在挑战。此外，还需要标准化的机械和电气测试协议，以及规定应报告的关键性能指标的指南，以促进准确的文献比较。综述最后概述了未来研究应对这些持续挑战的关键机遇。
