Biosensor Integrated in Active Microfluidic Cartridge Allows Superior Screening Possibilities

A polymer-based sensor integrated into an active microfluidic cartridge will allow simpler, faster, and systematic screening possibilities. The new concept for diagnosis will permit, for example, doctors to diagnose a disease such as cancer, using only few microliters of blood taken from a patient.

The integration of sensing functionality as well as assay functionality into a compact fully-integrated cartridge-like device allowed transferring complexity from the macro to the micro system, leading to a Lab-on a-Chip. A polymer based technology platform was developed; it applies a label-free optical detection based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

Integrated into the cartridge the optical components (light source, waveguide, and detector) and fluidic elements for active liquid transport make it very suitable for diagnostics. The final product will be manufactured using large scale, mass production techniques resulting in a cartridge that will be inexpensive, disposable, and sensitive.

The polymer-based sensor the Plasmon enhanced SPR is being developed by the Surface Enhanced Micro Optical Fluidic Systems (SEMOFS) project (Chemnitz, Germany), supported by the European Commission with EUR 1.9 million in funding. The consortium of the project involves multidisciplinary expertise split among eight partners from five European countries, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, and the UK.

SEMOFS was finished in February 2009, and tangible achievements have been reached. The hardware components of the integrated approach are technically operable. The cost estimations show that the cost target of less than EUR 50 is within reach. The concept is considered as being feasible for the new integrated biosensor approach. Some of the aspects targeted in the project need to be studied in more detail; these include the integration of all components into a single device to allow for example, clinical testing for cancer.

In order to begin utilizing project results it will be necessary to apply the components in several different applications, such as: excitation, microfluidic, polymer photodiode array for the low cost spectrometer, fast optimization in plasmonic devices design, and surface coating.

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