PYROELECTRIC THIN POLYMER FILMS

THE BIOSENSOR FIELD IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY, ENCOMPASSING MANY TYPES OF MEASURING TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES. THERMOMETRIC ANDMICROCALORIMETRIC TECHNIQUES FOR ENZYMATIC AND IMMUNOENZYMATIC ANALYSIS HAVE YIELDED GOOD RESULTS; HOWEVER,TO DATE, THE METHODS AND EQUIPMENT REMAIN RELATIVELY COMPLEX, EXPENSIVE, AND, THEREFORE, NOT ROUTINELY EMPLOYED. 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 AHUMAN BODY UP TO FIFTY FEET AWAY AND HAVE RECENTLY BEEN EMPLOYED IN VARIOUS 1R DETECTORS AS WELL AS IN PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER APPLICATIONS. BY EMPLOYING TECHNIQUES SIMILAR TO MICRO-CIRCUIT FABRICATION, WE ANTICIPATE CONSTRUCTING A SIMPLE 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 AWIDE RANGE OF ANALYSES CAN BE PERFORMED AND THE SPECIFICITY DETERMINED BY THE CHOICE OF BIOLOGGICAL PROCESSES WITHOUT THE POTENTIAL INTERFERENCES ENCOUNTERED BY METHODS SUCH AS 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 EVALUATE TECHNIQUES THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE UPON AND SIMPLIFY THE CLASSICAL ANALYTICAL METHODS OF THERMOMETRY AND MICROCALORIMETRY.