A wearable system for highly selective L-glutamate neurotransmitter sensing

The development of a wearable recording system to acquire L-glutamate (L-Glu) neurotransmitter signals from the central nervous system (CNS) was reported. The system utilized miniature (50×100 μm2) implantable amperometric sensors fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate to minimize in vivo tissue damage. Selectivity to L-Glu was improved through implementation of self-referencing electrode and noise cancellation to minimize background noises and interference from other neurotransmitters. A microcontroller-based data acquisition system and a wireless transceiver were utilized to transmit measurements wirelessly to computer base stations and smart phones in real time. The experiments demonstrated the feasibility for monitoring neurotransmitters in freely-behaving animals and potentially human objects.