Advanced Biosensors Produced from Glass Stamps

The field of consumer electronics is currently heading to a point where each individual smartphone will be outfitted with a sensitive biosensors. The instrument will be able to detect dangerous chemicals and radiations, as well as any diseases in the body based on a small droplet of blood.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have recently developed a new method for producing lab-on-a-chip (microfluidic) devices. The technique utilizes a small, voltage-activated stamp made out of glass to engrave tiny, nanoscale patterns on metallic surfaces.

The approach was developed by MIT associate professor of mechanical engineering Nicholas Fang, and was detailed in a paper published in the September 21 online issue of the journal Nanotechnology.

With the new method, it may soon be possible to scale up the production of microfluidic devices. At this point, the process used to create these sensors (beam litography) is very expensive and time-consuming. This represents a major hurdle to adopting microfluidic devices at a wide scale.