Detection of stress hormones by a microfluidic-integrated polycarbazole/fullerene photodetector

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2013:2013:4470-3. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2013.6610539.

Abstract

A novel photodetector integrated microfluidic system for chemiluminescence (CL) detection is reported. The system incorporates a polycarbazole/fullerene photodiode whose optical characteristics (i.e. dark current, external quantum efficiency and photosensitivity) are described here. Using a CL immunoassay for detecting the stress hormone cortisol, the integrated photodetector achieved a detection sensitivity of 1.775 pA × nM(-1) and a detection limit of less than 0.28 nM. The device would be a powerful low-cost alternative to silicon photodiode and photomultiplier tube for bioanalytical assays, with potentially wide-ranging applications within point-of-care diagnostics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Fullerenes / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Hydrocortisone / blood*
  • Limit of Detection
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / methods*
  • Silicon / chemistry

Substances

  • Fullerenes
  • Hydrocortisone
  • Silicon