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Cantilever Sensors for Triglycerides and Urea
Date Issued
01-01-2021
Author(s)
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Abstract
Starting with a brief genesis of cantilevers as a platform for sensing, the use of a microcantilever as a sensor for mass detection with high sensitivity is described. Though cantilevers have achieved record sensitivity for measurements in air and vacuum, measurements in liquids have limited sensitivity as well as reliability issues. Since many biological samples are present in liquid environment, we explore ways to improve these. Enzymatic hydrolysis of triglycerides and urea and consequent changes in the resonance frequency are used, though the actual working of the sensors is different for the two cases. Improvements in the immobilisation techniques, measurements at higher modes with better signal to noise ratio and improved data analysis helps to achieve both high sensitivity and reliability. Fabricating cantilevers with reduced thickness gives the lowest detection limits of 7 nM for Tributyrin (a short-chained triglyceride) and 10 nM for Urea.