PYROELECTRIC THIN POLYMER FILMS

WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A SENSITIVE, DIFFERENTIAL MICROCALORIMETRIC BIOSENSOR DEVICE USING THIN POLYMER FILMS DISPLAYING A PYROELECTRIC RESPONSE. POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE (PVDF) FILMS ARE CAPABLE OF DETECTING THE HEAT OF A HUMAN BODY UP TO FIFTY FEET AWAY AND HAVE RECENTLY BEEN EMPLOYED IN VARIOUS IR DETECTORS AS WELL AS IN PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER APPLICATIONS. BY EMPLOYING TECHNIQUES SIMILAR TO MICRO-CIRCUIT FABRICATION, WE ANTICIPATE CONSTRUCTING A SIMPLE TO USE ENZYME AND IMMUNOENZYME BASED BIOSENSOR DEVICE WHICH IS LOW IN COST AND, BY NATURE OF THE FABRICATION, PROVIDES FOR A SINGLE STEP, SINGLE PHASE "HOMOGENEOUS" ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY FORMAT. A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE OF A CALORIMETRIC BASED BIOSENSOR DEVICE IS THAT A WIDE RANGE OF ANALYSES, IMPORTANT TO THE MILITARY, CAN BE PERFORMED, I.E., DRUGS, HORMONES, ANTIBODIES, VIRUSES, BACTERIA, AND OTHER AGENTS, AND THE SPECIFICITY DETERMINED BY THE CHOICE OF BIOLOGICAL REAGENTS WITHOUT THE POTENTIAL INTERFERENCES ENCOUNTERED BY METHODS SUCH AS SPECTROPHOTOMETRY OR FLUOROMETRY. FURTHER, UNLIKE CALORIMETRIC TECHNIQUES USING THERMISTORS OR THERMOPILES, PHROELECTRIC FILMS CAN BE FABRICATED TO EXTREMELY CLOSE PHYSICAL TOLERANCES BY SIMPLE MEANS AND OPERATED IN A DIFFERENTIAL MODE, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE ABSOLUTE TEMPERATURE. IN EFFECT, WE PROPOSE TO EVALUATE TECHNIQUES THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE UPON AND SIMPLIFY THE CLASSICAL ANALYTICAL METHODS OF THERMOMETRY AND MICROCALORIMETRY.