A fully-integrated circulating tumor cell analyzer using an on-chip vector network analyzer and a transmission-line-based detection window in 65-nm CMOS

A fully-integrated CMOS circuit based on a vector network analyzer (VNA) and a transmission-line-based detection window for circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis is presented for the first time. We have introduced a fully-integrated architecture, which eliminates the undesired parasitic components and enables high-sensitivity, for analysis of extremely low-concentration CTC in blood. The detection window was designed on the high-sensitive coplanar waveguide (CPW) line. To validate the operation of the proposed system, a test chip was fabricated using 65-nm CMOS technology. Measurements were performed after adding a tiny lump of silicone or a droplet of water on its detection window. The measured results show |S
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| degradation of -1.96 dB and -6.04 dB for the silicone and the droplet, respectively, at 1.4 GHz. In addition, in another measurement using magnetic beads, it is confirmed that the proposed circuit can analyze even low concentrations of 20 beads/μL.