The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide. Currently, the most common detection methods for the virus are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and lateral flow tests. PCR takes more than an hour to obtain the results and lateral flow tests have difficulty with detecting the virus at low concentrations. In this study, 60 clinical human saliva samples, which included 30 positive and 30 negative samples confirmed with RT-PCR, were screened for COVID-19 using disposable glucose biosensor strips and a reusable printed circuit board. The disposable strips were gold plated and functionalized to immobilize antibodies on the gold film. After functionalization, the strips were connected to the gate electrode of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor on the printed circuit board to amplify the test signals. A synchronous double-pulsed bias voltage was applied to the drain of the transistor and strips. The resulting change in drain waveforms was converted to digital readings. The RT-PCR-confirmed saliva samples were tested again using quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to determine cycling threshold (Ct) values. Ct values up to 45 refer to the number of amplification cycles needed to detect the presence of the virus. These PCR results were compared with digital readings from the sensor to better evaluate the sensor technology. The results indicate that the samples with a range of Ct values from 17.8 to 35 can be differentiated, which highlights the increased sensitivity of this sensor technology. This research exhibits the potential of this biosensor technology to be further developed into a cost-effective, point-of-care, and portable rapid detection method for SARS-CoV-2.
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March 2022
Research Article|
February 09 2022
Rapid SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis using disposable strips and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor platform
Chan-Wen Chiu
;
Chan-Wen Chiu
a)
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: chanwen.chiu@ufl.edu
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Minghan Xian;
Minghan Xian
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Jenna L. Stephany;
Jenna L. Stephany
2
Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32610
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Xinyi Xia;
Xinyi Xia
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Chao-Ching Chiang;
Chao-Ching Chiang
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Fan Ren
;
Fan Ren
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Cheng-Tse Tsai;
Cheng-Tse Tsai
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
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Siang-Sin Shan;
Siang-Sin Shan
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
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Yu-Te Liao;
Yu-Te Liao
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
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Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw;
Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw
2
Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32610
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Santosh R. Rananaware;
Santosh R. Rananaware
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Long T. Nguyen;
Long T. Nguyen
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Nicolas C. Macaluso;
Nicolas C. Macaluso
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Piyush K. Jain;
Piyush K. Jain
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Melanie N. Cash;
Melanie N. Cash
4
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Carla N. Mavian;
Carla N. Mavian
4
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Marco Salemi;
Marco Salemi
4
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Marino E. Leon;
Marino E. Leon
4
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Chin-Wei Chang;
Chin-Wei Chang
5
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Jenshan Lin;
Jenshan Lin
5
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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Stephen J. Pearton
Stephen J. Pearton
6
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida
, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: chanwen.chiu@ufl.edu
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 40, 023204 (2022)
Article history
Received:
November 10 2021
Accepted:
January 25 2022
Citation
Chan-Wen Chiu, Minghan Xian, Jenna L. Stephany, Xinyi Xia, Chao-Ching Chiang, Fan Ren, Cheng-Tse Tsai, Siang-Sin Shan, Yu-Te Liao, Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw, Santosh R. Rananaware, Long T. Nguyen, Nicolas C. Macaluso, Piyush K. Jain, Melanie N. Cash, Carla N. Mavian, Marco Salemi, Marino E. Leon, Chin-Wei Chang, Jenshan Lin, Stephen J. Pearton; Rapid SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis using disposable strips and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor platform. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1 March 2022; 40 (2): 023204. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001615
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