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Open AccessArticle
Investigating a Detection Method for Viruses and Pathogens Using а Dual-Microcantilever Sensor
by
Luca Banchelli
Luca Banchelli 1,
Georgi Todorov
Georgi Todorov 2,
Vladimir Stavrov
Vladimir Stavrov 3,
Borislav Ganev
Borislav Ganev 4 and
Todor Todorov
Todor Todorov 1,*
1
Department of Theory of Mechanisms and Machines, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Technical University of Sofia, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria
2
Department of Manufacturing Technology and Systems, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Technical University of Sofia, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria
3
AMG Technology Ltd., Microelectronica Industrial Zone, 2140 Botevgrad, Bulgaria
4
Department of Electronics, Faculty of Electronic Engineering and Technologies, Technical University of Sofia, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Micromachines 2024, 15(9), 1117; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091117 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 August 2024
/
Revised: 29 August 2024
/
Accepted: 30 August 2024
/
Published: 31 August 2024
Abstract
Piezoresistive microcantilever sensors for the detection of viruses, pathogens, and trace chemical gasses, with appropriate measurement and signal processing methods, can be a powerful instrument with high speed and sensitivity, with in situ and real-time capabilities. This paper discusses a novel method for mass sensing on the order of a few femtograms, using a dual-microcantilever piezoresistive sensor with a vibrating common base. The two microcantilevers have controllably shifted natural frequencies with only one of them being active. Two active piezoresistors are located on the surfaces of each of the two flexures, which are specifically connected in a Wheatstone bridge with two more equivalent passive resistors located on the sensor base. A dedicated experimental system measures the voltages of the two half-bridges and, after determining their amplitude–frequency responses, finds the modulus of their differences. The modified amplitude–frequency response possesses a cusp point which is a function of the natural frequencies of the microcantilevers. The signal processing theory is derived, and experiments are carried out on the temperature variation in the natural frequency of the active microcantilever. Theoretical and experimental data of the temperature–frequency influence and equivalent mass with the same impact are obtained. The results confirm the sensor’s applicability for the detection of ultra-small objects, including early diagnosis and prediction in microbiology, for example, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, other viruses, and pathogens. The versatile nature of the method makes it applicable to other fields such as medicine, chemistry, and ecology.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Banchelli, L.; Todorov, G.; Stavrov, V.; Ganev, B.; Todorov, T.
Investigating a Detection Method for Viruses and Pathogens Using а Dual-Microcantilever Sensor. Micromachines 2024, 15, 1117.
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091117
AMA Style
Banchelli L, Todorov G, Stavrov V, Ganev B, Todorov T.
Investigating a Detection Method for Viruses and Pathogens Using а Dual-Microcantilever Sensor. Micromachines. 2024; 15(9):1117.
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091117
Chicago/Turabian Style
Banchelli, Luca, Georgi Todorov, Vladimir Stavrov, Borislav Ganev, and Todor Todorov.
2024. "Investigating a Detection Method for Viruses and Pathogens Using а Dual-Microcantilever Sensor" Micromachines 15, no. 9: 1117.
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091117
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