Implantable biosensors: criteria and types

Of the various types of biosensor, only a minority meet the requirements for use in vivo, in human or animal tissue. A biosensor that can be implanted in vivo must meet a certain number of criteria, aimed at ensuring that the sensor functions properly in situ, as well as complying with the safety and biocompatibility standards required for application on living organisms.

• First and foremost, the sensor must function in living tissue. This means it must not be inhibited by an endogenous substance, or require a cofactor that does not occur naturally in vivo. It must be sufficiently stable to withstand penetration into living tissue, as well as aggression from the host tissue, for the duration of implantation (which...