A surface acoustic wave biosensor for interrogation of single tumour cells in microcavities.

In this study, biological cells are sensed and characterized with surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices utilising microcavities. After tumour cells in media are transported to and trapped in microcavities, the proposed platform uses SAW interaction between the substrate and the cells to extract their mechanical stiffness based on the ultrasound velocity. Finite element method (FEM) analysis and experimental results show that output phase information is an indicator of the stiffness modulus of the trapped cells. Small populations of various types of cells such as MCF7, MDA-MB-231, SKBR3, and JJ012 were characterized and characteristic moduli were estimated for each cell population. Results show that high frequency stiffness modulus is a possible biomarker for aggressiveness of the tumour and that microcavity coupled SAW devices are a good candidate for non-invasive interrogation of single cells.

Interdigitated-electrode-based MEMS-scale piezoelectric energy harvester modeling and optimization using finite element method.

This paper presents a novel optimization method for interdigitated electrode (IDE)-based, cantilever-type piezoelectric energy harvesters at microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scale. A new two-stage approach based on the finite element method is proposed to examine the performance of such devices. First, detailed electrostatic poling simulations are presented. The results of these poling orientation simulations are used while calculating electrical energy and conversion efficiency in response to a constant external force. The proposed approach is used to find the optimum piezoelectric material thickness and IDE geometry for a cantilever beam which is constructed on top of a 4-µm Si structural layer and a 1-µm SiO2 isolation layer. Cantilever and IDE lengths are fixed at 320 µm and 240 µm, respectively, whereas the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thickness, IDE finger widths, and number of finger pairs are varied. Maximum output energy of 0.37 pJ for a 15-µN force is obtained at a PZT thickness of 0.6 µm and an IDE consisting of 12 finger pairs. This energy is reduced to 1.5 fJ for 5 µm PZT thickness with 2 electrode finger pairs, which shows that device geometry has a significant impact on device performance. The proposed method presents an accurate framework for the rapid design and performance prediction of novel piezoelectric energy harvester structures.

Biosensors in the small scale: methods and technology trends.

This study presents a review on biosensors with an emphasis on recent developments in the field. A brief history accompanied by a detailed description of the biosensor concepts is followed by rising trends observed in contemporary micro- and nanoscale biosensors. Performance metrics to quantify and compare different detection mechanisms are presented. A comprehensive analysis on various types and subtypes of biosensors are given. The fields of interest within the scope of this review are label-free electrical, mechanical and optical biosensors as well as other emerging and popular technologies. Especially, the latter half of the last decade is reviewed for the types, methods and results of the most prominently researched detection mechanisms. Tables are provided for comparison of various competing technologies in the literature. The conclusion part summarises the noteworthy advantages and disadvantages of all biosensors reviewed in this study. Furthermore, future directions that the micro- and nanoscale biosensing technologies are expected to take are provided along with the immediate outlook.