Low-cost fully additively manufactured passive microwave components exploiting available 3D flexibility.

This paper presents a novel technique for low-cost realization of fully additively manufactured passive microwave components through Stereolithography and selective metallization. The introduction of the third dimension (Z-axis) allows to improve parameters of the circuits (impedance match, isolation, etc.) by realization of variable thickness air layers underneath the circuits' patterns, which additionally lower the overall circuit losses caused by 3D printing material dielectric properties. Realization of a directional coupler, a low-pass filter, and a patch antenna utilizing the proposed manufacturing technique is discussed in detail and experimentally validated. The obtained measurement results for circuit demonstrators operating within the centimeter frequency range prove the benefits and performance of the introduced technique.

A microwave matrix sensor for multipoint label-free Escherichia coli detection.

This paper presents a microwave sensor designed as a capacitive matrix for label-free Escherichia coli detection. The mean value of capacitances' change in the capacitive matrix sensor is an indicator of the bacteria detection. The theoretical analysis was confirmed by the realization of an exemplary sensor chip manufactured using the United Monolithic Semiconductor (UMS) PH25 process on a 100 µm thick GaAs substrate and measurements of various concentrations of Escherichia coli in the frequency range 1-3 GHz. The matrix topology of the sensor together with biofunctionalization of the sensor surface with polyclonal anti-Escherichia coli antibody allow to obtain high detection sensitivity on various concentrations of Escherichia coli reaching 103 CFU/ml. The obtained results are promising for future biomedical applications, in terms of specific bacteria presence detection.

Effectiveness of Sensors Contact Metallization (Ti, Au, and Ru) and Biofunctionalization for Escherichia coli Detection.

In designing a bacteria biosensor, various issues must be addressed: the specificity of bacteria recognition, the immobilization of biomolecules that act as the bacteria receptor, and the selectivity of sensor surface. The aim of this paper was to examine how the biofunctionalized surface of Ti, Au, and Ru metals reacts in contact with strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The focus on metal surfaces results from their future use as electrodes in high frequency biosensors, e.g., resonant circuits or transmission-line sections. First, the surfaces of different metals were chemically functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and glutaraldehyde or with 3-glycidylooxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) followed by N-(5-amino-1-carboxypentyl) iminodiacetic acid (AB-NTA) and NiCl2. Secondly, the lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), polyclonal anti-Escherichia coli antibody and bacteriophage protein gp37 were tested as bacteria receptors. The selectivity and specificity have been confirmed by the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and visualized by scanning electron microscopy at low landing energies. We noticed that LBP, polyclonal antibody, and gp37 were successfully immobilized on all studied metals and recognized the E. coli bacteria selectively. However, for the antibody, the highest reactivity was observed when Ti surface was modified, whereas the bacteria binding was comparable between LBP and gp37 on the functionalized Ru surfaces, independent from modification. Thus, all surfaces were biocompatible within the scope of biosensor functionality, with titanium functionalization showing the best performance.

Rigorous Approach for Design of Differential Coupled-Line Directional Couplers Applicable in Integrated Circuits and Substrate-Embedded Networks.

We report rigorous approach for the design of differential coupled-line directional couplers in multilayer dielectric structures. In the proposed procedure numerically calculated per-unit-length parameters of coupled transmission lines are utilized for derivation of differential couplers' properties. The known description technique with multimode scattering parameters has been extended to the eight-ports considered in the paper and the properties resulting from symmetry of the considered networks have been shown. Exemplary 3-dB and 8-dB coupled-line directional couplers have been designed and experimentally evaluated. Nodal to mixed-mode conversion of scattering parameters has been applied to allow for measurements of the physically realized models. Results of measurements are shown to confirm the presented theoretical considerations.

A broadband capacitive sensing method for label-free bacterial LPS detection.

In this paper, the authors present a new type of highly sensitive label-free microwave sensor in a form of interdigital capacitor coated with T4 bacteriophage gp37 adhesin. The adhesin binds Escherichia coli B (E. coli B) by precise recognizing its bacterial host lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The C-terminal part of the adhesin consists of the receptor-binding amino acid residues which are involved in a specific interaction with two terminal glucose residues of the bacterial LPS. The change of the sensors' capacitance and conductance as a subject to LPS presence is an indicator of the detection. The measurements in the frequency range of 0-3GHz utilizing vector network analyzer have been carried out at different concentrations to verify experimentally the proposed method. The measured capacitance change between the reference and the biofunctionalized sensor equals 15% in the entire frequency range and the measured conductance change exceeds 19%. The changes of both parameters can be used as good indicators of the LPS detection. The selectivity has been confirmed by the ELISA experiments and tested by sensor measurements with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli B, E. coli 056, E. coli 0111, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NBRC 13743 and Hafnia alvei 1185.