from Part VII - Lab-on-a-chip
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2015
Introduction
Analytical platforms are used in the life sciences for the observation,identification, and characterization of various biological systems. Theseplatforms serve applications such as sequencing of deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA), immunoassays, and gene expression analyses for environmental,medical, forensics, and biohazard detection [1]–[3]. Biosensors are asubset of such platforms that can convey biological parameters in terms ofelectrical signals. Biosensors are utilized to measure the quantity ofvarious biological analytes and are often required to be capable ofspecifically detecting multiple analytes simultaneously. A goal in biosensorresearch is to develop portable, hand-held devices for point-of-care (POC)use, for example in a physician’s office, an ambulance, or at ahospital bedside, that could provide time-critical information about apatient on the spot [4].
The current demand for high-throughput, point-of-care bio-recognition hasintroduced new technical challenges for biosensor design and implementation.Conventional biological tests are highly repetitive, labor-intensive, andrequire a large sample volume [2], [5]. The associated biochemical protocolsoften require hours or days to perform at a cost of hundreds of dollars pertest. Instrumentation for performing such testing today is bulky, expensive,and requires considerable power consumption. Problems remain in detectingand quantifying low levels of biological compounds reliably, conveniently,safely, and quickly. Solving these problems will require the development ofnew techniques and sensors.
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