AirSense: wearable microneedle device for asthma biomarker monitoring - ON-1115

Project type: Innovation
Desired discipline(s): Engineering - biomedical, Engineering, Biochemistry / Molecular biology, Life Sciences, Medicine
Company: DIA Labs Canada
Project Length: Longer than 1 year
Preferred start date: 10/01/2025
Language requirement: English
Location(s): Concord, ON, Canada
No. of positions: 1 - 2
Desired education level: Master'sPhDPostdoctoral fellow
Open to applicants registered at an institution outside of Canada: No

About the company: 

DIA Labs Canada is a medical device company that is dedicated to addressing pressing challenges in healthcare by developing innovative and cost-effective solutions. Our mission is to advance respiratory care through patient-centred medical devices that meet the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance. Currently, we are developing AirSense, a novel wearable device that allows for continuous asthma monitoring.

Describe the project.: 

AirSense is a wearable, minimally invasive microneedle-based device developed to continuously monitor asthma-specific inflammatory biomarkers directly from the interstitial fluid (ISF) of patients. The innovation targets major limitations in current asthma monitoring techniques such as spirometry, which often suffer from patient variability and inability to detect early exacerbation events. AirSense uniquely integrates hydrogel microneedles functionalized to detect cytokines including IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and TSLP, which are key mediators in type 2 asthma inflammation. These signals are converted into real-time data through screen-printed electrochemical biosensors (SPEs), housed in a flexible, skin-compatible shell.

The device aims to reduce asthma-related hospitalizations by providing early warning signs of airway inflammation prior to symptom onset. The final product is a Bluetooth-enabled diagnostic platform that will empower patients and clinicians with actionable insights into disease trajectory.

For this Open Project under Research & Innovation, the main goal is to refine biomarker detection from in vitro testing to human ISF samples through a multi-stage wet lab validation protocol. This includes ELISA benchmarking, microneedle immobilization efficiency, recovery from artificial ISF, and eventual pilot studies with patient-derived ISF. The innovation lies in integrating screen-printed wearable biosensing, hydrogel microneedle arrays, and respiratory health monitoring in a single platform.

Required expertise/skills: 

The microneedle project requires multidisciplinary expertise across biomedical engineering, materials science, biochemistry, and electrochemical biosensing. Biochemistry experts are essential for selecting asthma-relevant biomarkers and designing antibody-based electrochemical reaction pathways suitable for detection in interstitial fluid (ISF). Materials scientists are needed to fabricate and optimize microneedles for ISF access with minimal discomfort, focusing on dimensions, surface coatings (e.g., PEDOT, hydrogel entrapment), and biocompatibility. Biomedical engineers contribute to the CAD design, microfabrication (e.g., 3D molding, electric discharge milling), and integration of sensor components such as working, counter, and reference electrodes. Additionally, electrochemical engineers or analytical chemists must perform signal optimization via techniques like differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and develop algorithms for interpreting biosignals. Expertise in packaging, sterilization, and in vitro/in vivo validation (including porcine skin models) is also required to simulate human skin ISF extraction and validate sensor functionality.