Comprehensive performance study of magneto cantilevers as a candidate model for biological sensors used in lab-on-a-chip applications

• Main Authors: Hamidreza Saberkari, Habib Badri Ghavifekr, Mousa Shamsi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Journal of Medical Signals and Sensors
• Subjects: Biological sensors; cantilever; magnetostrictive
• Online Access: http://www.jmss.mui.ac.ir/article.asp?issn=2228-7477;year=2015;volume=5;issue=2;spage=77;epage=87;aulast=Saberkari

In recent years, demand for biological sensors which are capable of fast and accurate detection of minor amounts of pathogens in real-time form has been intensified. Acoustic wave (AW) devices whose performance is determined by mass sensitivity parameters and quality factor are used in biological sensors as platforms with high quality. Yet, current AW devices are facing many challenges such as the low value of their quality factor in practical applications and also their difficulty to use in liquids. The main focus of this article is to study on the magnetostrictive sensors which include milli/microcantilever (MSMC) type. In comparison with AW devices, MSMC has a lot of advantages; (1) its actuation and sensing unit is wirelessly controlled. (2) Its fabrication process is easy. (3) It works well in liquids. (4) It has a high-quality factor (in the air > 500). Simulation results demonstrate that the amount of quality factor depends on environment properties (density and viscosity), MSMC geometry, and its resonant behavior of harmonic modes.