A 3D printing-based portable photoelectrochemical sensing device using a digital multimeter.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate monitoring of cancer biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment.
• Existing methods often require complex procedures, expensive equipment, or enzymes, limiting accessibility.
• There is a need for simple, portable, and cost-effective sensing platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, enzyme-free, and portable photoelectrochemical sensing method.
• To utilize a homemade three-dimensional (3D) printing device for sensor fabrication.
• To accurately detect low-abundance cancer biomarkers, using carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a model.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D printed device for photoelectrochemical sensing.
• Encapsulation of glucose within liposomes for signal amplification.
• Coupling the sensor with a digital multimeter for quantitative readout.
• Demonstration of CEA detection using the developed system.

Main Results:

• Successful development of an enzyme-free and portable sensing platform.
• Demonstrated accurate detection of the cancer biomarker CEA.
• The 3D printing approach enabled a customizable and accessible device.
• The liposome-based signal amplification enhanced sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D printed photoelectrochemical sensor offers a promising tool for sensitive and portable cancer biomarker detection.
• This enzyme-free approach simplifies the sensing process and reduces costs.
• The method holds potential for widespread application in clinical diagnostics and point-of-care testing.