Implantable pH microelectrodes

Some earlier developments and applications of various implantable pH sensors or measurement systems have been reported [128, 129, 130, 131]. However, reliable pH sensors for long-term implantations are still not available, and widespread clinical usage of implantable pH sensors has not been reached. Similar to other implantable sensors, the development of implantable pH microelectrodes, either fully implanted in the body or needle type sensors applied through the skin (percutaneous), has faced serious obstacles including sensor stability deterioration, corrosion, and adverse body reactions [48, 132, 133], Among them, encapsulation to prevent corrosion represents a major challenge for the implantable sensor devices [51]. Failure of encapsulation can cause corrosion damage on internal components, substrate materials, and electrical contacts [48], The dissolution of very thin pH sensitive layers will also limit the stability and lifetime of implantable micro pH sensors. 

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