Beschreibung:
<jats:p>By coating the electrodes of a cochlear implant (CI) electrode array with a powdered form of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), a straightforward process to functionalize existing electrodes to selectively detect histamine is demonstrated. Detection is based on non‐Faradaic impedance spectroscopy, omitting the need for a reference electrode or redox mediators, and fitting to a 5‐element equivalent electronic circuit. Proof‐of‐concept measurements on three functionalized cochlear implants in three human cadaveric cochleae indicate a level of detection of 200 nM of histamine in albumin‐based artificial perilymph following a sigmoid dose‐response trend up to 10 m<jats:sc>M</jats:sc>. This sensitivity enables quantized and localized analysis of histamine‐mediated inflammation immediately following the CI operation. The selectivity and adaptability of MIPs opens possibilities to detect a wide spectrum of inflammation markers inside the human cochlea and could be used for fast mid‐ or postoperative intervention to improve the medical implant's outcome.</jats:p>