Integrated optical microfluidic biosensor using a polycarbazole photodetector for point-of-care detection of hormonal compounds

J Biomed Opt. 2013 Sep;18(9):097001. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.18.9.097001.

Abstract

A picogram-sensitive optical microfluidic biosensor using an integrated polycarbazole photodiode is developed. The photodetector is mainly composed of the blend heterojunction of poly [N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) and the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as the hole transport layer. Analyte detection is accomplished via a chemiluminescent immunoassay performed in a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-gold-glass hybrid microchip, on which antibodies were immobilized and chemiluminescent horseradish peroxidase-luminol-peroxide reactions were generated. Enhanced sensor response to the chemiluminescent light is achieved by optimizing the thickness of PCDTBT: PC70BM and PEDOT:PSS. Using the optimized polycarbazole photodiode for detecting the human thyroid-stimulating hormone as the model target, the integrated biosensor demonstrates an excellent linearity in the range of 0.03 to 10 ng/ml with an analytical sensitivity of 68 pg/ml. The sensor response shows high specificity and reproducibility. Hormone detection in clinical samples is further demonstrated and compared with a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The integrated device reported here has potential to detect other hormonal compounds or protein targets. Moreover, the presented concept enables the development of miniaturized, low-cost but highly sensitive optical microfluidic biosensors based on integrated polymer photodetectors with high potential for point-of-care diagnostics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Immobilized / chemistry
  • Antibodies, Immobilized / metabolism
  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods
  • Hormones / analysis*
  • Hormones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Models, Chemical
  • Point-of-Care Systems
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Thyrotropin / analysis

Substances

  • Antibodies, Immobilized
  • Hormones
  • Polymers
  • Thyrotropin