Glucose sensor with improved haemocompatibility

A new biocompatible copolymer has been synthesised and used in an electroch emical enzyme-based glucose sensor. The copolymer incorporates three segmen ts including a monomer with an electrically neutral phosphorylcholine head group that is able to reject protein adsorption and two segments that incre ase the affinity to polyurethane substrate. Peel and solution circulation t ests showed that this material has high attachment to polyurethane. With th e new copolymer as the outermost layer and the polyurethane as the diffusio n-limiting membrane, the sensor showed extended linearity up to 50 mM gluco se and stable output in bovine serum for 70 h. During in vivo tests, the se nsor exhibited a steady current signal and a rapid transient response when the glucose concentration was raised. These results imply that the haemocom patibility of the glucose sensor coated with the new copolymer has been imp roved, which is crucial for a sensor used for clinical real-time monitoring . The material may also be suitable for application to other implantable de vices. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.