Wearable Microneedle Patch Monitors Antibiotic Levels in Real Time

Therapeutic drug monitoring for agents with narrow therapeutic windows often relies on intermittent blood draws and laboratory analysis, providing only snapshots of exposure. More...

The patch employs an array of tiny microneedles that reach interstitial fluid just beneath the skin, enabling continuous quantification of drug concentrations. Miniaturized electronics process the signals and transmit data via Bluetooth for real-time display on a mobile device. All sensing and telemetry components are integrated into a single, lightweight format suitable for on-body use.

The technology was demonstrated using vancomycin as a model antibiotic because it must be maintained within a relatively narrow concentration range to remain safe and effective. In laboratory experiments and preclinical studies, the platform successfully tracked changes in drug levels over several hours, indicating feasibility for minimally invasive, continuous pharmacokinetic monitoring. Although tested with an antibiotic, the researchers note the sensing architecture could potentially be adapted for other medicines that require careful dose management.

The study, conducted at KAUST, was published in Device on June 18, 2026. The team stated that future work will focus on extending monitoring duration, improving long-term stability, and evaluating the platform across a broader range of applications.

“Wearable technologies have changed the way people monitor many aspects of their health, from physical activity to heart rate and sleep. This research explores whether future wearable devices could also help us understand how medicines behave inside the body. While the technology is still at an early stage, it demonstrates a new approach to monitoring therapies continuously rather than relying on occasional measurements,” said Khaled Nabil Salama, professor of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering at KAUST and lead author of the study.