Utilizing layer-parameter of shear horizontal surface acoustic wave biosensor for lipoprotein particle sizing
Chia-Hsuan Cheng1,2, Hiromi Yatsuda1, Jun Kondoh1
1Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561, Japan. kondoh.jun@shizuoka.ac.jp.
Lab on a Chip
|July 1, 2025
Summary
This study uses Shear Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave (SH-SAW) biosensors to measure lipoprotein sizes, offering a faster alternative to traditional methods. The developed SH-SAW sensor accurately distinguishes and estimates lipoprotein sizes for potential point-of-care testing.
Area of Science:
- Biosensing
- Acoustic Wave Technology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Shear Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave (SH-SAW) sensors are established tools for biosensing and particle size measurement.
- Traditional methods for lipoprotein analysis, such as chromatography and NMR, are time-consuming and complex.
- There is a need for rapid, accurate methods to determine lipoprotein sizes for clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reflective-type SH-SAW biosensor for distinguishing and measuring lipoprotein sizes.
- To overcome the limitations of conventional lipoprotein analysis techniques.
- To explore the potential of SH-SAW technology for point-of-care testing (POCT).
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 250 MHz SH-SAW biosensor on quartz substrates with a reflective design and specialized packaging.
- Immobilized specific antibodies (ApoA1, ApoB48, ApoB100, Lp(a)) on a gold surface to capture target lipoproteins from human plasma.
- Analyzed the ratio of velocity to attenuation changes (layer-parameter) to correlate with lipoprotein size.
Main Results:
- The SH-SAW biosensor successfully distinguished between different lipoprotein sizes based on their layer-parameter values.
- Lipoproteins ApoA1, ApoB48, ApoB100, and Lp(a) yielded distinct layer-parameter values: -0.398 ± 0.009, -1.133 ± 0.043, -0.661 ± 0.024, and -0.497 ± 0.035, respectively.
- A strong correlation (R = 0.9987) was observed between lipoprotein size and the increase in layer thickness, validating the layer-parameter analysis.
Conclusions:
- Analyzing layer-parameters derived from SH-SAW sensor data enables accurate estimation of lipoprotein size.
- This SH-SAW biosensor technology offers a rapid and effective method for lipoprotein size analysis.
- The findings support the expansion of SH-SAW biosensors for clinical diagnostics and point-of-care testing (POCT).
