Title :
Microdevices for biomolecular and single cell detection
Author_Institution :
Massachusetts Inst. of Technol., Cambridge
Abstract :
Recent advances towards developing biomolecular and single cell applications for a mass-based biosensor known as the suspended microchannel resonator (SMR) will be presented. In SMR detection, target molecules or cells flow through a vibrating suspended microchannel and are captured by receptor molecules attached to the interior channel walls. What separates the SMR from the existing resonant mass sensors is that the receptors, targets, and their aqueous environment are confined inside the resonator, while the resonator itself can oscillate at high Q in an external vacuum environment, thus yielding extraordinarily high sensitivity. This approach solves the problem of viscous damping that degrades the sensitivity of cantilever resonators in solution. We have achieved a resolution of approximately 300 attograms which is represents an improvement of six order of magnitude improvement over a high-end commercial quartz crystal microbalance. This gives access to intriguing applications such as mass based flow cytometry or the direct detection of cancer biomarkers.
Keywords :
biomechanics; biomolecular electronics; biosensors; cellular transport; damping; microchannel flow; micromechanical resonators; plastic flow; SMR detection; aqueous environment; biomolecular detection; cancer biomarker direct detection; cantilever resonators; cell flow; channel walls; external vacuum environment; flow cytometry; high-end commercial quartz crystal microbalance; mass-based biosensor; microdevices; receptor molecules; receptors; resonant mass sensors; single cell detection; suspended microchannel resonator; target molecules; targets; vibrating suspended microchannel; viscous damping; Biomarkers; Biosensors; Cancer detection; Cells (biology); Damping; Degradation; Mechanical engineering; Microchannel; Resonance; USA Councils;
Conference_Titel :
Sensors, 2007 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Atlanta, GA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-1261-7
Electronic_ISBN :
1930-0395
DOI :
10.1109/ICSENS.2007.4388318