The innovative device was developed by experts in Switzerland

Mar 4, 2014 15:35 GMT  ·  By
EPFL scientists create an on-chip sensing platform with plasmonic microarrays and lens-free computational imaging
   EPFL scientists create an on-chip sensing platform with plasmonic microarrays and lens-free computational imaging

A team of investigators at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, announce the development of a new device capable of testing and analyzing a significant number of proteins in a single go. In essence, refining this instrument could reduce the need for people to visit doctors as often as they currently have to. 

The device is powered by a crafty combination of optical science and engineering and is able to conduct multiple analyses simultaneously. Another major advantage it has over traditional diagnostic technologies is that it is extremely mobile, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand.

EPFL professor Hatice Altug and postoctoral fellow Arif Cetin developed the stapler-sized instrument in collaboration with Professor Aydogan Ozcan from the University of California in Los Angles (UCLA). They refer to it as a compact and inexpensive optical lab on a chip.

According to the research group, the instrument could potentially analyze as many as 170,000 different molecules at the same time, if they are all included in the same blood sample. This means that it may soon be possible to check insulin levels, Alzheimer's biomarkers, and viral signatures at the same time.

The team managed to reduce the complexity and bulk of their lab on a chip by doing away with spectrometers. Traditionally, this type of devices has worked by analyzing the spectral properties of the chemicals on the sensing plate. The new instrument achieves the same objective by changing the intensity of the light it shines over the sample, allowing for on-chip imaging and processing.

“We were looking to build an interface similar to a car's dashboard, which is able to indicate gas and oil levels as well as let you know if your headlights are on or if your engine is working correctly,” says Altug. The device the team ended up with is just 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) high and weighs 60 grams.

Researchers say that the instrument has a level of precision of just 3 nanometers, enabling it to identify single-layer proteins and viral agents with ease. Its main components are a CMOS chip, an LED, and a gold plate featuring multiple arrays of 200-nanometer-wide gaps. Additional details on how it operates are available in the latest issue of the esteemed journal Nature Light Science & Application.

“Recent studies have shown that certain illness like cancer or Alzheimer's are better diagnosed and false positive results avoided when several parameters can be analyzed at once,” Altug explains.

“Moreover, it is possible to remove the substrate and then replace it with another one, allowing to be adapted for a wide range of biomedical and environmental research requiring monitoring of biomolecules, chemicals and bioparticles,” the expert concludes.