Self-powered wireless biosensing based on integration of paper-based microfluidics with self-assembling RFID antennas

Abstract

This paper extends our previous work on wireless biosensing by proposing and demonstrating the integration of self-assembling radio-frequency antennas with paper-based microfluidics. The integration substrate is constructed using polyethylene and the patterning of the antenna on the substrate has been achieved using a low-cost ink-jet printing technique. The use of paper-based microfluidics enables self-powered sample acquisition, sample mixing and sample flow to areas on the substrate where antennas can self-assemble only when target analytes are present in the sample. When the integrated substrate is combined with a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging technology, the resulting sensor-tag can be used for continuous monitoring in a food supply-chain where direct measurement is considered to be impractical and reducing false alarms is a key consideration. We validate the proof-of-concept operation of the proposed sensor-tag using IgG as a model analyte.