Optimization of growth medium position for improved operation of Quartz Tuning Fork biosensor

Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) structures are proper candidates for sensing and monitoring the growth of bacteria. The monitoring is based on measurement of resonance frequency of the fork during the growth procedure. While the resonant frequency is dependent on the amount of added mass, the frequency response of the resonator is associated with the location of the added mass accordingly. In addition, the sensitivity of the measurement is influenced by the frequency response of the system accordingly. We have studied the effect of different available configuration and locations on the QTF on the response of the system of measurement. Our study is based on numerically simulating the resonance behavior of the QTF structure using Finite Element Method (FEM) in COMSOL environment. The results of our study show that the best configuration for the species on the prongs is the outer part of the prongs and with symmetrical configuration.