Coated Transdermal Sensors for Diagnostic Applications

Background:
People develop respiratory failure for a variety of reasons including chronic severe lung disease, chest wall or spinal problems, neuromuscular disease, severe obesity, sedating medications or often a combination of the above.
The most important way to diagnose and monitor respiratory failure is measuring blood oxygen (low) and blood carbon dioxide (high). We can measure oxygen by non-invasive sensors that measure refracted infra-red light on finger-tip probes. However, this method cannot reliably measure blood levels of carbon dioxide or levels of acidity (pH). Venous blood samples are also not accurate to measure carbon dioxide. Therefore, clinicians have to sample arterial (or sometimes capillary) blood which entails painful, sometimes technically difficult (missing the target), time-consuming, and occasionally dangerous needle insertion into arteries (including bleeding, nerve damage). There is also a short delay whilst blood samples are taken to measuring machines and technical inaccuracies can occur during sampling and transport with eg trapped oxygen bubbles or oxygen consumption by red cells.

The ability to safely measure a surrogate of arterial carbon dioxide and pH would have immediate and profound clinical benefits. To date no-one has developed transcutaneous measurements that are accurate or reliable enough to inform clinical care. The skin interstitial fluid (ISF) is a treasure trove of biomarkers and acts as a window to the body. It can be tapped in a minimally invasive manner using microneedle arrays. These microneedle arrays can be modified with metallic and functional coatings to multiplexed electrochemical sensing devices.

The project will involve:
1. Reviewing literature and current practice within the continuous monitoring sensors to understand the current state of knowledge on functional metal coatings, polymeric coatings for bioreceptors and transdermal sensors.
2. Improving the theoretical understanding of the demands on microneedle array patches for continuous monitoring, sampling and diagnostic applications.
3. Completing lab trial work involving in vitro optimisation in tissue phantoms followed by pilot studies in clinical settings.

The CDT will produce 50 graduates with doctoral level knowledge and research skills focussed on the development and manufacture of functional industrial coatings. Key impact areas are:

Knowledge
- The development of new products and processes to address real scientific challenges existing in industry and to transfer this knowledge into partnering companies. The CDT will enable rapid knowledge transfer between academia and industry due to the co-created projects and co-supervision.
- The creation of knowledge sharing network for partner companies created by the environment of the CDT.
- On average 2-3 publications per RE. Publications in high impact factor journals. The scientific scope of the CDT comprises a mixture of interdisciplinary areas and as such a breadth of knowledge can be generated through the CDT. Examples would include Photovoltaic coatings - Journal of Materials Chemistry A (IF 8.867) and Anti-corrosion Coatings - Corrosion Science (IF 5.245), Progress in Organic Coatings (IF 2.903)
- REs will disseminate knowledge at leading conferences e.g. Materials Research Society (MRS), Meetings of the Electrochemical Society, and through trade associations and Institutes representing the coatings sector.
- A bespoke training package on the formulation, function, use, degradation and end of life that will embed the latest research and will be available to industry partners for employees to attend as CPD and for other PGRs demonstrating added value from the CDT environment.

Wealth Creation
- Value added products and processes created through the CDT will generate benefits for Industrial partners and supply chains helping to build a productive nation.
- Employment of graduates into industry will transfer their knowledge and skills into businesses enabling innovation within these companies.
- Swansea University will support potential spin out companies where appropriate through its dedicated EU funded commercialisation project, Agor IP.

Environment and society
- Functionalised surfaces can potentially improve human health through anti-microbial surfaces for health care infrastructure and treatment of water using photocatalytic coatings.
- Functionalised energy generation coatings will contribute towards national strategies regarding clean and secure energy.
- Responsible research and innovation is an overarching theme of the CDT with materials sustainability, ethics, energy and end of life considered throughout the development of new coatings and processes. Thus, REs will be trained to approach all future problems with this mind set.
- Outreach is a critical element of the training programme (for example, a module delivered by the Ri on public engagement) and our REs will have skills that enable the dissemination of their knowledge to wide audiences thus generating interest in science and engineering and the benefits that investments can bring.

People
- Highly employable doctoral gradates with a holistic knowledge of functional coatings manufacture who can make an immediate impact in industry or academia.
- The REs will have transferable skills that are pertinent across multiple sectors.
- The CDT will develop ethically aware engineers with sustainability embed throughout their training
- The promotion of equality, diversity and inclusivity within our cohorts through CDT and University wide initiatives.
- The development of alumni networks to grow new opportunities for our CDT and provide REs with mentors.