PAGE TITLE
Overview
PAGE SUMMARY
Improving sensitivity, accuracy and efficiency of piezoelectric sensors for detecting biomolecules is important to the development of sensitive and reliable assays in the healthcare field for early detection and prevention of diseases. To achieve sub-femtomolar sensitivity, Drexel’s researchers have developed a piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) capable of in-solution detection of biomolecules with zeptomolar or higher sensitivity.
PEPS is a new type of piezoelectric sensor consisting of a PMN-PT freestanding film 8 μm in thickness, less than 1mm2 in size, thinly coated with gold electrodes on the two major surfaces and encapsulated with a thin electrical insulation to enable immersion in water solutions. Receptor specific to a biomarker is immobilized on the surface of the electrical insulation layer. Binding of the target biomarker to the receptor on the PEPS surface shifts the PEPS length-extension-mode (LEM) or width-extension-mode (WEM) resonance peak frequency, f. Detection of a target protein or DNA marker is achieved by directly immersing a PEPS in the biological fluid and monitoring the LEM or WEM resonance frequency shift, Δf, in real time. Detection sensitivity, Δf/f, varied by several parameters such as PMN-PT grain size and the applied direct current bias electric field, has been enhanced a 1000-fold as compared to that of purely mass detection, resulting in DNA detection at the level of 1.6x10-18 molar. This detection was achieved at room temperature in PBS, without sample isolation, concentration or amplification within 30 minutes. Combinations with other detection techniques, such secondary tags for the target molecule, can further enhance sensitivity to a zeptomolar level. Arrays of PEPS can be used for simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers in the same sample.
APPLICATIONS
TITLE: Applications
Detection of biomarkers in situ without sample purification or amplification
Capable of detecting proteins and nucleic acids at attomolar or even lower levels
ADVANTAGES
TITLE:Advantages
Highly sensitive piezoelectric sensor for label-free detection
Great enhancement of sensitivity over simple mass shift detection
Does not require sample isolation, concentration or amplification
IP STATUS
Intellectual Property and Development Status
United States Patent Issued- 10,197,565
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10197565B2/en?oq=15%2f101%2c788
rss.ip-title>Intellectual Property and Development Status
United States Patent Issued- 11,243,200
https://patents.google.com/patent/US11243200B2/en?oq=11%2c243%2c200
PUBLICATIONS
References
Pubinfo should be the citation for your publication. Publink is the full url linking to the publication online or a pdf.
W. Wu et al., Enhancing detection sensitivity of piezoelectric plate sensor by increasing transverse electromechanical coupling constant. J. Appl. Phys. 114, 064505 (2013); doi: 10.1063/1.4817762
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4817762
W. Wu et al., Real-time, in situ DNA hybridization detection with attomolar sensitivity without amplification using (pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65-(PbTiO3)0.35 piezoelectric plate sensors. Biosens Bioelectron. 2013 May 15; 43:391-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2012.12.044.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2012.12.044
Commercialization Opportunities
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Contact Information
For more information on this technology, please contact applied_innovation@drexel.edu.