Flexible Wearable Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Wound Glucose Monitoring

In clinical management of diabetic foot ulcers, dynamic monitoring of wound glucose is critical for infection risk assessment and treatment guidance. However, molecular detection in exudate remains challenging due to sample complexity and low analyte concentrations. Electrochemical sensors provide an ideal platform owing to their high sensitivity and miniaturization potential. Notably, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have gained attention as synthetic receptors with customizable binding sites, excellent stability, and low-cost mass production. Despite growing interest in MIP-based wearable sensors, their application in wound monitoring—including for glucose—has not been explored. To address this gap, we developed a flexible electrochemical sensor using a glucose-selective MIP film. This device overcomes key limitations of traditional biological receptors in wound environments. The optimized sensor shows a wide linear range (0.1 μM-1 mM, R² > 0.97) and accurate glucose detection in wound exudate. Our work provides a scalable, low-cost sensing platform that enables intelligent wound management systems to transition from passive observation to active, offering a novel approach for diabetic wound monitoring.