Highly sensitive microscale in vivo sensor enabled by electrophoretic assembly of nanoparticles for multiple biomarker detection

Abstract

This paper describes a microscale in vivo sensor platform device for the simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers. We designed the polymer-based biosensors incorporating multiple active isolated areas, as small as 70 μm × 70 μm, for antigen detection. The fabrication approach involved conventional micro- and nano-fabrication processes followed by site-specific electrophoretic directed assembly of antibody-functionalized nanoparticles. To ensure precise and large-scale manufacturing of these biosensors, we developed a semi-automated system for the attachment of the 250-μm biosensor to a 300-μm catheter probe. Our fabrication and post-processing procedures should enable large-scale production of such biosensor devices at lower manufacturing cost. The principle of detection with these biosensors involved a simple fluorescence-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These biosensors exhibit high selectivity (ability to selectively detect multiple biomarkers of different diseases), specificity (ability to target generic to specific disease biomarkers), rapid antigen uptake, and low detection limits (for carcinoembryonic antigen, 31.25 pg mL⁻¹; for nucleosomes, 62.5 pg mL⁻¹), laying the foundation for potential early detection of various diseases.