Piezoelectric Biosensor Research Articles

Role of Piezoelectricity in Disease Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review.

Because of their unique electromechanical coupling response, piezoelectric smart biomaterials demonstrated distinctive capability toward effective, efficient, and quick diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases. Such materials have potentiality to be utilized as wireless therapeutic methods with ultrasonic stimulation, which can be used as self-powered biomedical devices. An emerging advancement in the realm of personalized healthcare involves the utilization of piezoelectric biosensors for a range of therapeutic diagnosis such as diverse physiological signals in the human body, viruses, pathogens, and diseases like neurodegenerative ones, cancer, etc. The combination of piezoelectric nanoparticles with ultrasound has been established as a promising approach in sonodynamic therapy and piezocatalytic therapeutics and provides appealing alternatives for noninvasive treatments for cancer, chronic wounds, neurological diseases, etc. Innovations in implantable medical devices (IMDs), such as implantable piezoelectric energy generator (iPEG), offer significant advantages in improving physiological functioning and ability to power a cardiac pacemaker and restore the heart function. This comprehensive review critically evaluates the role of piezoelectricity in disease diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the implication of piezoelectric smart biomaterials for biomedical devices. It also discusses the potential of piezoelectric materials in healthcare monitoring, tissue engineering, and other medical applications while emphasizing future trends and challenges in the field.

Comparative Study of Piezoelectric MEMS for Enhanced Biosensors

Piezoelectric MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) refers to devices that combine the principles of piezoelectricity with microfabrication techniques to create small-scale mechanical systems with integrated electronic components. Piezoelectric Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) for enhanced biosensors represent a sophisticated integration of two key technologies: piezoelectric materials and MEMS fabrication techniques. This combination results in highly sensitive, miniaturized devices that can detect and analyze biological molecules with precision. Piezoelectric MEMS devices offer unique advantages including high sensitivity, low power consumption, and miniaturization, making them ideal candidates for cutting-edge biosensor development. This article provides a comparative study of various Piezoelectric MEMS-based biosensors, highlighting their strengths and limitations.

Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes from Cancer Cells Using Antibody-Functionalized Paddle Screw-Type Devices and Detection of Exosomal miRNA Using Piezoelectric Biosensor.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles produced by almost all cell types in the human body, and exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that are known to serve as important biomarkers for diseases such as cancer. Given that the upregulation of miR-106b is closely associated with several types of malignancies, the sensitive and accurate detection of miR-106b is important but difficult. In this study, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensor was developed to detect miR-106b isolated from cancer cells based on immunoaffinity separation technique using our unique paddle screw device. Our novel SAW biosensor could detect a miR-106b concentration as low as 0.0034 pM in a linear range from 0.1 pM to 1.0 μM with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. Additionally, we were able to successfully detect miR-106b in total RNA extracted from the exosomes isolated from the MCF-7 cancer cell line, a model system for human breast cancer, with performance comparable to commercial RT-qPCR methods. Therefore, the exosome isolation by the paddle screw method and the miRNA detection using the SAW biosensor has the potential to be used in basic biological research and clinical diagnosis as an alternative to RT-qPCR.

Piezoelectric Biosensor based on ultrasensitive MEMS system

The lack of ultrasensitive biosensors is the major challenge in the control of pandemics at the very initial stage, so it is necessary to develop new biosensors for the prompt treatment, and the piezoelectric biosensor based on ultrasensitive MEMS system offers a good opportunity. This paper presents a novel approach using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) unsmooth nanofibers to transfer electronic current. The unique unsmooth surface of these nanofibers provides a high surface energy (geometrical potential), making them highly sensitive to microorganisms (e.g., viruses) absorbed on their surface. The absorption of viruses has an obvious effect on the nanofiber’s displacement and electrical resistivity. This paper presents a mathematical model that demonstrates the system's ultra-sensitivity. This rigorous mathematical analysis shows that even when the pull-in voltage in the PVDF nanofiber changes by just 0.0589 %, a dramatic shift from normal periodic motion to pull-in motion is predicted. This paper provides a new and reliable theoretical way to detect pandemics at the very beginning stage.

Advances in Biosensors for the Rapid Detection of Marine Biotoxins: Current Status and Future Perspectives.

Marine biotoxins (MBs), harmful metabolites of marine organisms, pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems and human health due to their diverse composition and widespread occurrence. Consequently, rapid and efficient detection technology is crucial for maintaining marine ecosystem and human health. In recent years, rapid detection technology has garnered considerable attention for its pivotal role in identifying MBs, with advancements in sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. These technologies offer attributes such as speed, high throughput, and automation, thereby meeting detection requirements across various scenarios. This review provides an overview of the classification and risks associated with MBs. It briefly outlines the current research status of marine biotoxin biosensors and introduces the fundamental principles, advantages, and limitations of optical, electrochemical, and piezoelectric biosensors. Additionally, the review explores the current applications in the detection of MBs and presents forward-looking perspectives on their development, which aims to be a comprehensive resource for the design and implementation of tailored biosensors for effective MB detection.

Design, Fabrication and Performance Analysis of a Portable, Antenna Analyzer Based, Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measuring System with Energy Dissipation

Impedance measurements play a critical role in analyzing the electrical behavior of piezoelectric biosensors in general. Antenna analyzers are engineered to measure the specific case of input impedance for antenna systems. In this study small form factor antenna analyzer is repurposed to work as driving circuit for a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) biosensor in combination with a single board computer as an indication of how small and portable an impedance measuring system can be made, while allowing monitoring of important parameters of series and parallel resonance frequencies together with dissipation factor. A QCM crystal with a 10 MHz fundamental resonance frequency is employed to determine the limit of detection of the system in Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and glycerol solutions. Dissipation factor and phase angle were monitored during the experiments. Limit of detection is 20 µg/ml BSA in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and 250 µl of glycerol in 100 ml of deionized water.

Reduction of Losses and Wastage in Seafoods: The Role of Smart Tools and Biosensors Based on Artificial Intelligence

This paper reviews current knowledge on the role of smart tools and biosensors based on artificial intelligence in reducing seafood loss and wastage. This study shows that a variety of biosensors, categorised according to how they function, can be used to measure the quality of seafood. These include optical biosensors, enzyme-based biosensors, immunosensors, microbial biosensors, DNA-based biosensors, electrochemical biosensors, optical biosensors, tissue-based biosensors, and piezoelectric biosensors. Among these biosensors, optical biosensors, electrochemical biosensors, and mechanical biosensors are the most significant. Again, this study report that, for seafood traceability and management, a variety of smart solutions including blockchain technology, quick response (QR) codes, data analytics, digital twins, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can be utilised. Catch data, vessel tracking data, and data from the processing plant are some of the different data sources that can be utilised to trace seafood products. Artificial intelligence tools like neural networks, deep learning, machine learning, and others can be used to forecast and improve seafood quality. It is crucial to study the development of biosensors that can properly identify the earliest signs of seafood contamination or rotting.

Wearable biosensors and their applications in healthcare

The technologies used in medical care region could become more widely-discussed in the society. In the past, most biosensors were used in the manufacturing and engineering to increase the efficiency of production enable to meet the requirements of mass production, as the inventors expand the use of piezoelectric biosensors, their application in healthcare and virtual reality become important. Therefore, this paper collected and summarized the results of several previous research papers, explained the different working theories of many types of biosensors, and detailed discussed the specific biosensors used in these areas to look into this topic. The finding is that effectively use the piezoelectric materials (PZT) sensors could largely improve the medical level and the function of virtual reality. The wearable haptic feedback system can be used not only in these areas, but lots have not been explored. The medical level and other fields can all be improved even more in the future through the use of biosensors.

Rapid and Label-Free Analysis of Antigen-Antibody Dynamic Binding of Tumor Markers Using Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Biosensor.

Quantitative biomacromolecular diagnosis is rapidly developing in molecular oncology. In this study, we developed a continuous flow immunoassay device based on a piezoelectric (PZ) quartz crystal biosensor fabricated with whole-electrode occupation for the quantitative molecular diagnosis of tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Only one face of the crystal was in contact with the serum sample during the assays. First, the characteristics of AFP and anti-AFP binding kinetics, such as the optimal time for immune response, the average antigen binding rate, the kinetic constants and the optimal standard curve, were investigated. The overall immunoreaction time was only 12 min, the average antigen binding rate of AFP was 45.9 ng/min, the concentration range of AFP detection was 18.8-1100 ng/mL and the association rate constant (kon), dissociation rate constant (koff) and equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) were 5.58×104 M-1s-1,1.79×10-5 s-1 and 3.21×10-10 M, respectively. This sensing system was further validated by detecting AFP values from clinical serum samples, which were obtained from pregnant women, liver and lung cancer patients and those undergoing liver cancer screening. No cross-reactivity with lung cancer markers were found, and the detection results were in good agreement with the radioimmunoassay (RIA) results, with a relative deviation of no more than 3.7% and correlation coefficient r of 0.9998. Therefore, the developed immunoassay device has the potential to be used in large-scale screening for cancers, as well as in novel high-affinity binding drug development.

Evaluation of Linkers' Influence on Peptide-Based Piezoelectric Biosensors' Sensitivity to Aldehydes in the Gas Phase.

Recent findings qualified aldehydes as potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis. One of the possibilities is to use electrochemical biosensors in point-of-care (PoC), but these need further development to overcome some limitations. Currently, the primary goal is to enhance their metrological parameters in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. Previous findings indicate that peptide OBPP4 (KLLFDSLTDLKKKMSEC-NH2) is a promising candidate for further development of aldehyde-sensitive biosensors. To increase the affinity of a receptor layer to long-chain aldehydes, a structure stabilization of the peptide active site via the incorporation of different linkers was studied. Indeed, the incorporation of linkers improved sensitivity to and binding of aldehydes in comparison to that of the original peptide-based biosensor. The tendency to adopt disordered structures was diminished owing to the implementation of suitable linkers. Therefore, to improve the metrological characteristics of peptide-based piezoelectric biosensors, linkers were added at the C-terminus of OBPP4 peptide (KLLFDSLTDLKKKMSE-linker-C-NH2). Those linkers consist of proteinogenic amino acids from group one: glycine, L-proline, L-serine, and non proteinogenic amino acids from group two: β-alanine, 4-aminobutyric acid, and 6-aminohexanoic acid. Linkers were evaluated with in silico studies, followed by experimental verification. All studied linkers enhanced the detection of aldehydes in the gas phase. The highest difference in frequency (60 Hz, nonanal) was observed between original peptide-based biosensors and ones based on peptides modified with the GSGSGS linker. It allowed evaluation of the limit of detection for nonanal at the level of 2 ppm, which is nine times lower than that of the original peptide. The highest sensitivity values were also obtained for the GSGSGS linker: 0.3312, 0.4281, and 0.4676 Hz/ppm for pentanal, octanal, and nonanal, respectively. An order of magnitude increase in sensitivity was observed for the six linkers used. Generally, the linker's rigidity and the number of amino acid residues are much more essential for biosensors' metrological characteristics than the amino acid sequence itself. It was found that the longer the linkers, the better the effect on docking efficiency.

Polymer‐Based MEMS Sensor for Label‐Free Chikungunya Virus Detection

AbstractPiezoelectric MEMS (Micro‐Electro‐Mechanical Systems) Cantilevers have successfully been used in a wide variety of applications in recent years. This paper is a simulation‐based study on Micro‐cantilever based Piezoelectric MEMS biosensors for Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) detection. In addition to providing early detection, the proposed method is label‐free, faster, and more reliable. The proposed biosensor detects CHIKV E2 protein via MEMS Sensor. The basic principle involves using piezoelectric material on a micro‐cantilever for biomaterial detection. A piezoelectric MEMS cantilever is simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics and compared for voltage, stress, and displacement for three materials (silicon, gold, and PDMS). Analytical equations are derived. Post‐processing for biosensor design is done in SIMULINK. Simulated voltage, stress, and displacement show a linear relationship with the viral load. PDMS also provided the highest voltage and displacement among the three materials used for MEMS simulation. The graphs show the comparison between simulated and analytical values. Simulation results are also compared to clinical results to prove the biosensor's validity. MEMS Biosensor performance matches with the RT‐PCR results, with the added advantage of faster results. Diagnostic tests in the medical field can be performed using the proposed biosensor.

A comparative assessment of a piezoelectric biosensor based on a new antifouling nanolayer and cultivation methods: Enhancing S. aureus detection in fresh dairy products

Ensuring dairy product safety demands rapid and precise Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) detection. Biosensors show promise, but their performance is often demonstrated in model samples using non-native pathogens and has never been studied towards S. aureus detection in naturally contaminated samples. This study addresses the gap by directly comparing results taken with a novel piezoelectric biosensor, capable of one-step detection, with four conventional cultivation-based methods. Our findings reveal that this biosensor, based on an antifouling nanolayer-coated biochip, exhibits exceptional resistance to biofouling from unprocessed dairy products and is further capable of specific S. aureus detection. Notably, it performed comparably to Petrifilm and Baird-Parker methods but delivered results in only 30 min, bringing a substantial reduction from the 24 h required by cultivation-based techniques. Our study also highlights differences in the performance of cultivation methods when analyzing artificially spiked versus naturally contaminated foods. These findings underline the potential of antifouling biosensors as efficient reliable tools for rapid, cost-effective, point-of-care testing, enhancing fresh dairy product safety and S. aureus detection.

Recognition of the interaction between the bioactive peptide Val-Pro-Pro and the minimal promoter region of genes SOD and CAT using QCM-D and docking studies.

Bioactive peptides are biomolecules involved in very diverse mechanisms in vivo. It has been reported that bioactive peptides play a very important role in the regulation of physiological functions such as oxidative stress, hypertension, cancer and inflammation. It's been reported that the milk derived peptide (VPP) prevents the progress of hypertension in different animal models and human beings with mild hypertension. It has also been shown that oral administration of VPP produces an anti-inflammatory effect in adipose tissue of mouse models. Currently there are no reports on the possible interaction of VPP with the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), the main regulators of oxidative stress. This study analyzes the interaction between VPP and specific domains in the minimal promoter region of the genes SOD and CAT in blood samples of obese children using a QCM-D type piezoelectric biosensor. We also used molecular modeling (docking) to determine the interaction between the peptide VPP and the minimal promoter region of both genes. With QCM-D, we detected the interaction of VPP with the nitrogenous base sequences that comprise the minimal promoter regions of both genes CAT and SOD. These experimental interactions were explained at the atomic level by molecular docking simulations showing how the peptides are capable of reaching the DNA structures by means of hydrogen bonds with favored free energy values. It is possible to conclude that the combined use of docking and QCM-D allows for the determination of the interaction of small peptides (VPP) with specific sequences of genes.

Recent development of piezoelectric biosensors for physiological signal detection and machine learning assisted cardiovascular disease diagnosis.

As cardiovascular disease stands as a global primary cause of mortality, there has been an urgent need for continuous and real-time heart monitoring to effectively identify irregular heart rhythms and to offer timely patient alerts. However, conventional cardiac monitoring systems encounter challenges due to inflexible interfaces and discomfort during prolonged monitoring. In this review article, we address these issues by emphasizing the recent development of the flexible, wearable, and comfortable piezoelectric passive sensor assisted by machine learning technology for diagnosis. This innovative device not only harmonizes with the dynamic mechanical properties of human skin but also facilitates continuous and real-time collection of physiological signals. Addressing identified challenges and constraints, this review provides insights into recent advances in piezoelectric cardiac sensors, from devices to circuit systems. Furthermore, this review delves into the integration of machine learning technologies, showcasing their pivotal role in facilitating continuous and real-time assessment of cardiac status. The synergistic combination of flexible piezoelectric sensor design and machine learning holds substantial potential in automating the detection of cardiac irregularities with minimal human intervention. This transformative approach has the power to revolutionize patient care paradigms.

Applications of biosensors - A short review

Enzyme-based, tissue-based, immunosensors, DNA biosensors, thermal and piezoelectric biosensors are explored here, revealing applications in medical fields to distinguish between natural and man-made substances. Some industries have implemented the use of biosensors, such as the food industry. Biosensors are used in metabolic engineering to enable in vivo monitoring of cell metabolism, in order to obtain accurate glucose concentrations, in fermentation industries and in saccharification processes to control its quality and safety. Biosensors and their role in medicine, including early detection of human interleukin 10, which causes heart disease, and rapid detection of human papillomavirus (HPV). It's an important aspect. Fluorescent biosensors play an important role in drug discovery and cancer diagnosis. Biosensing applications are widely used to find missing links in metabolic processes. Basically, biosensors serve as inexpensive and highly efficient devices for these purposes in addition to other routine applications.

Recent Progress in Biosensors for Detection of Tumor Biomarkers.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, with an increasing mortality rate over the past years. The early detection of cancer contributes to early diagnosis and subsequent treatment. How to detect early cancer has become one of the hot research directions of cancer. Tumor biomarkers, biochemical parameters for reflecting cancer occurrence and progression have caused much attention in cancer early detection. Due to high sensitivity, convenience and low cost, biosensors have been largely developed to detect tumor biomarkers. This review describes the application of various biosensors in detecting tumor markers. Firstly, several typical tumor makers, such as neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), carbohydrate, antigen19-9 (CA19-9) and tumor suppressor p53 (TP53), which may be helpful for early cancer detection in the clinic, are briefly described. Then, various biosensors, mainly focusing on electrochemical biosensors, optical biosensors, photoelectrochemical biosensors, piezoelectric biosensors and aptamer sensors, are discussed. Specifically, the operation principles of biosensors, nanomaterials used in biosensors and the application of biosensors in tumor marker detection have been comprehensively reviewed and provided. Lastly, the challenges and prospects for developing effective biosensors for early cancer diagnosis are discussed.

Piezoelectric biosensor for smart cardiovascular grafts based on NaNbO3 fibers/PDMS structured composite

An artificial graft inserted in the vascular system can cause thrombosis, which may lead to catastrophic consequences. New intelligent vascular prosthetics that can recognize the presence of clots are urgently needed. For this purpose, a novel biocompatible piezocomposite is designed for self-monitoring smart vascular grafts. The new insight of this work involves the fabrication of a composite with low filler content (5 %v) and high piezoelectric sensitivity (g33 ∼ 130 mV m N−1) suitable for biosensors. The composite is produced by structuring fibers (NaNbO3 fibers) in elastomeric matrix via dielectrophoresis. The matrix with low elastic modulus offers great stretchability to prevent graft performance deterioration. Numerical simulation together with experimental characterizations confirm the improvements in terms of electric field distribution, dielectric and piezoelectric properties. The new composite, integrated on a graft and placed into a motorized cardiovascular simulator performs successfully online monitoring of the blood pressure, identifying anomalies related to a thrombus. The composite coupled with an inductive coil forms a resonant sensor, whose resonance frequency shifts when an occlusion develops. In the future, this system could be implemented using radio frequency identification tags (RFID-tag) to wirelessly supervise the condition of the graft, paving the way to a next generation of self-monitoring grafts.

Biomolecular Piezoelectric Materials for Biosensors

Piezoelectric biosensors are a type of analytical equipment that works based on recording affinity interactions. A piezoelectric platform, also known as a piezoelectric crystal, is a sensor component that works on the premise of oscillations changing according to the presence of a mass on the piezoelectric crystal surface. Owing to their high piezoelectricity, biocompatibility, as well as different electrical properties, biomolecular piezoelectric materials are thought to be promising candidates for future piezoelectric biosensors. When biological components in the human body are stressed, they are estimated to produce electric fields that promote cell growth and repair. As a by-product, piezoelectricity research in biological tissues and their elements has drawn much attention recently. This article specifies the principle of the advancement in piezoelectricity research of representative biomolecular materials, which are nucleic acids such as amino acids (DNA, RNA), peptides, proteins, and viruses. We also explored the origins and processes of piezoelectricity in biomolecular materials for biosensor application. Various advantages of using piezoelectric biomolecular materials for biosensor applications are elaborated. Lastly, a comprehensive idea of future challenges and discussion are provided.

Two-in-one: Portable piezoelectric and plasmonic exciton effect-based co-enhanced photoelectrochemical biosensor for point-of-care testing of low-abundance cancer markers

In-depth exploration of the local surface plasmon resonance and piezoelectric effects associated with metal can help develop efficient biosensors. Here, we presented for the first time the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and piezoelectric effects co-enhance the construction of an efficient intra-body phase electric field for the construction of efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensors. Briefly, the LSPR enhancement and piezoelectric enhancement effects between Ag nanoparticles and the piezoelectric material NaNbO3 were investigated in a PEC biosensor system under the excitation of portable UV light. Notably, the simplified treatment of the basic building blocks of the PEC sensor, including a handheld UV flashlight instead of a physical excitation light source and a digital multimeter instead of an electrochemical workstation. The capture and immunoincubation process of target PSA occurs on separated microtiter plates and hydrogen peroxide, generated by enzyme-linked immunization, induces the directional separation of electrons and holes in the composite heterogeneous material under the excitation of light. The coupling with a digital multimeter allows for real-time monitoring of photocurrents. Further, the effect of Ag deposition on piezoelectric perovskite NaNbO3 was obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Impressively, under optimized conditions, the system exhibits an ultra-wide linear range and ultra-low detection limits for the target PSA. The system is also comparable to commercially available ELISA kits at the 95% confidence level. This work provides a novel idea of enhanced PEC biosensor for rapid and accurate detection of cancer-related proteins.

Carboxymethyl chitosan assembled piezoelectric biosensor for rapid and label-free quantification of immunoglobulin Y

Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) proves advantageous to IgG in prophylaxis and diagnosis. Quantification of IgY is therefore becoming a topic of interest. Here, we demonstrate a piezoelectric biosensor with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) as the immobilization matrix. Gelation and hydrophilic nature of CMCS are favored to form a crosslinked matrix for antibody immobilization, and a comparison was made between carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and CMCS to investigate the benefits of such substitution. Calibration from 500 ng/mL to 200 μg/mL was established in buffer with the detection limit (LOD) down to 270 ng/mL, confirming its feasibility. As-prepared biosensor effectively prevents non-specific binding of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme. Each real-time assay took 15 min including sensor regeneration, which can be further reduced to 4 min for signal readout only, ready for both repeated measurements after regeneration and disposable devices. Thus, as-prepared biosensor offers a rapid, label-free and cost-effective approach for IgY quantification.