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Updated: Jan 23, 2026
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Fabrication and Characterization of Thickness Mode Piezoelectric Devices for Atomization and Acoustofluidics
Published on: August 5, 2020
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Design and Development of Microscale Thickness Shear Mode (TSM) Resonators for Sensing Neuronal Adhesion.
Massoud L Khraiche1, Jonathan Rogul2, Jit Muthuswamy2
1Neural Engineering and Nanobiosensors Group, Biomedical Engineering Program, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|June 20, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed enhanced thickness shear mode (TSM) resonators for label-free sensing of small neuron populations. This advancement improves spatial resolution for studying neuronal adhesion events in real-time.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Neuroscience
- Materials Science
Background:
- Thickness shear mode (TSM) resonators are used for biosensing but require enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution for small cell populations.
- Conventional TSM devices are limited in detecting subtle biological adhesion events in limited cell numbers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop advanced TSM resonators for real-time, label-free, non-destructive sensing of biological adhesion in small neuron populations.
- To enhance sensitivity and spatial resolution of TSM sensors for future in vivo applications.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of TSM sensor sensitivity and electrode area for liquid environments.
- Fabrication and characterization of prototype TSM sensors with varying resonant frequencies and electrode dimensions.
- Surface modification with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) to improve sensor performance.
Main Results:
- Validated TSM resonators with high sensitivity and Q-factor for monitoring cortical neuron adhesion.
- Reduced sensing area to 150-400 μm, enhancing spatial resolution for detecting hundreds to thousands of neurons.
- Demonstrated improved adhesion and sensitivity using SWCNT-modified electrodes.
Conclusions:
- Developed miniaturized TSM resonators suitable for sensing small neuron populations.
- Achieved enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution for real-time monitoring of neuronal adhesion.
- SWCNT modification offers a promising route for further improving TSM sensor performance in neuroscience applications.
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