Versatile Electrochemiluminescence Imaging Platform for Multiplexed Biosensing and Point-of-Care Application

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assays are highly sensitive but rely on bulky, expensive instrumentation.
• Current ECL technology lacks true spatially resolved imaging capabilities, limiting accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact, modular, and affordable ECL imaging platform.
• To enable low-light, spatially resolved, and temporally synchronized electrochemical-optical measurements.
• To provide a practical alternative for ECL biosensing and multiplex point-of-care applications.

Main Methods:

• Integrated a Raspberry Pi 4, OV9281 camera, and EmStat4s potentiostat.
• Developed open-source Python software for synchronized control of electrochemical and optical parameters.
• Validated the platform using homogeneous and heterogeneous [Ru-(bpy)3]2+/tripropylamine (TPrA) ECL assays on screen-printed electrodes.

Main Results:

• Achieved sub-100 ms synchronization between electrochemical and imaging measurements.
• Demonstrated quantitative performance with low-picomolar limits of detection in bead-based assays.
• Enabled multiplexed measurements via region-of-interest readout for spatially resolved analysis.

Conclusions:

• The compact, low-cost platform provides a practical solution for spatially resolved ECL biosensing.
• Optimized camera parameters are crucial for quantitative ECL imaging.
• The system is suitable for multiplexed assays and potential point-of-care applications.