Biosensors
Schematic of CMUT biosensor and
mass loading effect
Fabricated CMUT device and
its impedance characteristics
Frequency shift of CMUT biosensor
Introduction
Many neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and depression are directly related to altered concentration of various neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. Thus, many biosensor platforms detect these biomarkers to diagnose neurological disorders included in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is direct contact with the brain.
What is problem and why is it important?
In order to detect the biomarkers in brain and CSF, the conventional detection method and platform has high sensitivity and low limit of detection (LOD) due to the low concentration of biomarkers. However, these methods and assays are time-consuming, expensive, and complex. To overcome the limitation of classic assay, many sensitive biosensor platforms have been proposed. Nevertheless, the current biosensor platforms still have low sensitivity and selectivity for low concentration biomarkers such as neuropeptides and neurotransmitters.
Our approach
Based on the advantages of small size, reliable manufacturing, high sensitivity, and array structure, we use Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers (CMUTs) to measure the low concentration of neurotransmitters in brain cerebrospinal fluid.