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Highly Sensitive Point of Care Sensor: Using Graphene for cost-effective, high-throughput diagnostics

Trinity

College

Dublin

more

Centre for Research on

Adaptive Nanostructures

and Nanodevices

Top: Medical devices are a potential application

Bottom: A schematic diagram showing the basic

components of a biofunctional graphene sensor

Basic overviewGraphene is novel building block to fabricate the next generation electronic

devices. Graphene sensors have the potential to offer extreme sensitivity

combined with high selectivity for use in diagnostics and other detection

applications. The high surface-to-volume ratio of graphene should allow single

molecule detection sensitivity required for the latest fast response sensors.

Graphene has been cited in terms of global research as having remarkable

mechanical strength and biocompatibility and has already been noted as a

detector component candidate for chemicals, gases and biomolecules.

Possible Applications

As with many nano-materials graphene offers a

platform technology with potential to be utilised in

numerous applications. In particular, graphene as a

component of point of care sensor could be used for

immediate disease diagnosis by medical staff thus

minimising effort and costs associated with expensiveequipment and staff training. This sensor technology is

expected to not only have application in the diagnosis

of diseases from blood, saliva and urine samples but

can potentially be applied to monitoring potable water

source purity where many diseases are borne.

Medical Devices/Diagnostics:

M various pathogens and diseases, e.g., influenza,

hepatitis, Parkinsons, Alzheimers etc.

Environmental monitoring:

M biological contaminants

M chemical pollutants

Gas sensing:

M Carbon monoxide/dioxide

M Nitrogen, etc

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What problem does it solve/advantages?The Biofunctional Graphene Sensor, through ongoing

development, is expected to be able to screen and return

results for a number of diseases simultaneously within

minutes. Routine disease diagnosis today is generally

conducted in hospital diagnositc labs using a comparativelylarge body fluid sample where each disease is analysed by

laborious preparation methods and differing proceedures as a

legacy of early research into the disease. These procedures

generally cause patients an extended wait of hours to days

in screening and returning results for only one condition.

The simplicity behind the development of Biofunctional

Graphene Sensors means that a number of conditions could

be screened for in a matter of minutes as tests should be able

to be conducted on raw untreated body fluids.

The closest marketed competitor to the Biofunctional

Graphene Sensor relies on antibodies which are produced inbiological systems as a result of exposure to one disease of

interest. Biofunctional Graphene Sensor disease detection is

related directly to the molecules of the disease so does not

require the use of antibodies in production which can take

a number of weeks. In fact, Biofunctional Graphene Sensor

technology will not rely on biological components during

manufacture which is likely to:

M Reduce unit manufacturing time;

M Reduce problems with quality assurance and;

M Reduce regulatory hurdles in the process of taking the

device to market.

The Biofunctional Graphene Sensor is set apart from

its close competitor in relation to the simplicity of the

technology. As the Biofunctional Graphene Sensor does

not rely on antibodies to return a result it is expected to be

able to identify molecules of environmental pollution thatare indetectable by devices relying on antibody technology.

M Cost effective: Graphene sensors are expected to be

inexpensive to manufacture thus allowing manufacture

of single-use sensors that can be easily disposed of at

point of care.

M Flexible operation: The properties of graphene make

it an ideal candidate for detection read outs in stand

alone hand-held devices or for readings using electronic

benchtop equipment.

M Extremely sensitive: Tentative global research has

already shown that graphene can be incorporated todetect analytes at the single molecule level – ideal for

DNA and protein detection.

M Extremely selective: Tentative global research has

shown the potential of graphene to differentiate between

isomers, e.g., between 2, 4- and 2, 6 dinitrotoluene or D-

and L- amino acids.

M Very patient & eco friendly: Biofunctional Graphene

Sensors are expected to allow minimum blood collection

requirements, thus dispensing with trauma and costs

related to the use of sterile syringes and needles.

Highly Sensitive Point of Care Sensor: Using Graphene for cost-effective, high-throughput diagnostics

CRANN located in Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s flagship nano research institute. We are focused on producing and

commercialising world-class research and are deeply integrated with industry. We have ongoing collaborations with large

multinationals and small to medium local enterprise.

The 250 strong research team is involved right across the spectrum from materials, magnetics, energy and drug development

right thorough to product development of medical devices, sensors and integrated circuits. This is facilitated by our state of

the art Advanced Microscopy Laboratory www.crann.tcd.ie/index/Facilities/AdvancedMicroscopyLaboratory in conjunction

with our cleanroom, optics labs and business incubation facilities.

Technology and Patent Status

This project is sponsored by ScienceFoundation Ireland and is being run partly in

collaboration with The Swiss Tropical Institute

in Basle. This technology is in the early stages

of development. Proof of concept has been

gained for virus detection and progress has

been made in the detection of other organisms

at lab scale.

The patent for this technology is currently

being filed.

Principal Inventors

Prof. Georg DuesbergProfessor Georg Duesberg is a

Princpal Investigator in CRANN

under the School of Chemistry at

Trinity College. His research focus is

on fabricating novel devices and realising concepts to

exploit the unique properties of carbon nano-structures

such as graphene and nanotubes for applications in

information and communication technologies (ICT),

bio-chemistry and renewable energy. He has published

more than 90 papers with a h-index of 33 on research

into novel devices and concepts involving carbon nano-

structures and is co-authour of 18 patents.

Prof. Martin HegnerProfessor Martin Hegner is a

Princpal Investigator in CRANN

under the School of Physics at

Trinity College. His scientific

interest is focused on interdisciplinary research in the

fields of single molecule manipulation, biophysics,

bio-diagnostics and development and application of

biological sensing devices. He has published more than

59 papers on bio-diagnostics, and the development

and application of biological sensing devices and is

co-authour of three patent applications.

www.crann.tcd.ie

Interest from industry, entrepreneurs and academia involved with medical devices,

diagnostics, and metrology are invited. Experts in business, electronics, physics

and biology can add value to bring this from prototype to product. Various support

mechanisms and grants available.

The opportunity