A Biosensor Platform for Point-of-Care SARS-CoV-2 Screening.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics
• Biosensor Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates advanced diagnostic tools for effective control.
• Rapid virus detection tests are crucial for managing public health threats.
• Continuous monitoring and data collection are vital for understanding virus spread.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an improved biosensor platform for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
• To enable real-time monitoring of COVID-19 patients and virus spread.
• To facilitate big data collection for spatio-temporal analysis of the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microcontroller-based readout circuit for capacitance measurement.
• Utilizing an interdigitated electrode transducer to detect spike protein or SARS-CoV-2 particles.
• Calibration of the circuit's efficiency using an LCR meter.

Main Results:

• The biosensor platform provides test results in under 2 minutes.
• Wireless data transmission to a mobile application interface is achieved.
• The system demonstrates potential for continuous and effective SARS-CoV-2 screening.

Conclusions:

• The developed biosensor offers a novel solution for rapid, continuous SARS-CoV-2 screening.
• This technology can support at-home testing, patient monitoring, and public health surveillance.
• The platform facilitates big data generation for spatio-temporal analysis of COVID-19.