A Portable Analyzer For Rapid And Sensitive Protein Detection By Ac Electrokinetics Capacitive Sensing

Capacitive bioparticle detection is a promising method for point-of-care diagnosis. There are a wide range of applications for such a device: diagnostics, pharmacology, and medical science. The end goal of this project is to develop a portable capacitive sensing platform for rapid and sensitive bioparticles detection. When bioparticles bind to receptors located on the surface of the electrode there would be a change in the interfacial capacitance, which indicate the presence of the bioparticle. The ADuCM355 – a precision analog microcontroller with a chemical sensor interface – is being used to perform biased electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). An AC potential is applied across the electrodes at varying frequencies, and the resulting current is measured and transferred to a master device. The ADuCM355 is controlled via the serial peripheral interface (SPI) by a master device. While multiple microcontrollers are compatible with the ADuCM355, currently a mbed lpc1768 acts as the master device receiving data to be decoded and displayed. In the future multiple sensors can be connected to a single master device and take concurrent readings for more accurate sensing. The main requirements for the device are portability, affordability, and the ability to provide appropriate and adjustable AC signals