Lab-on-a-Scalpel: Medical Tool Incorporating a Disposable Fully 3D-Printed Electrochemical Cell Promoting Drop-Volume ChemicalAnalysis in the Operating Theater

ABSTRACT: Surgical operations are intricate and invasiveprocedures that require continuous monitoring of the patient’sbiochemical profile. Point-of-care testing would allow healthcareprofessionals to identify abnormalities and make the necessaryinterventions to minimize the risk of complications and ensurepatient safety. To this end, we report the development of adisposable and compact fully 3D-printed electrochemical cellincorporated into a medical scalpel (Lab-on-a-Scalpel), aiming topromote on-site (electro)chemical analysis in the operatingtheater. This multifunctional device minimizes the number ofinstruments needed during surgery and can be fabricated on-demand by using a desktop-sized 3D printer at a very low cost.The performance of the Lab-on-a-Scalpel sensing device wasevaluated over various electrochemical techniques (cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, and differential pulse voltammetry) anddifferent setups (stirring, drop-volume analysis, polarization potentials, etc.) for the determination of epinephrine. Results showedattractive analytical figures-of-merit, with the limit of detection (LOD) reaching 0.13 μM, and high accuracy in recovery studiesconducted on artificial blood samples. Our findings suggest that Lab-on-a-Scalpel is a valuable tool that enables near-patientdiagnostics with a minimum sample volume and holds promise to become an essential tool for robotic-assisted surgery.