DIFFERENTIAL THERMOMETRIC BIOANALYTICAL SENSOR (DTBS)

BIOSENSORS ARE A RAPIDLY EMERGING BIOTECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING EFFORT THAT IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY, ENCOMPASSING MANY TYPES OFMEASURING TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES. WE PROPOSE TO EXPLORE THEFEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A SENSITIVE, MINIATURE DIFFERENTIAL THERMOMETRIC BIOSENSOR DEVICE USING THIN POLYMER FILMS (POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE OR PVDF) DISPLAYING A PYROELECTRIC RESPONSE. BY UTILIZING SUCH TECHNIQUES AS PHOTOLITHOGRAPHIC ETCHING, ELECTROCHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION AND MICROPROCESSOR BASED DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS, WE ANTICIPATE CONSTRUCTING AND EVALUATING A SIMPLE ENZYME AND IMMUNOCHEMICAL BASED BIOSENSOR DEVICE WHICH IS SENSITIVE, QUANTITATIVE AND INCORPORATING LOW COST FABRICATION TECHNIQUES. A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE OF A THERMOMETRIC BIOSENSOR DEVICE IS THAT A WIDE RANGE OF ANALYSES CAN BE PERFORMED AND THE SPECIFICITY DETERMINED BY THE CHOICE OF BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES WITHOUT THE POTENTIAL OF INTERFERENCES ENCOUNTERED BY METHODS SUCH A SPECTROPHOTOMETRY OR FLUOROMETRY. FURTHER, UNLIKE CALORIMETRIC TECHNIQUES USING THERMISTORS OR THERMOPILES, PYROELECTRIC 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 EVALUATETECHNIQUES THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE UPON AND SIMPLIFY THE CLASSICAL METHODS OF THERMOMETRY AND MICROCALORIMETRY.