Dielectrophoretic sensors for microbiological applications

Novel microbiological sensors based on the dielectrophoretic (DE) effect have been demonstrated. Co-planar electrode sensors have been shown to have excellent selectivity and collection efficiency for ozone treated and untreated Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, demonstrating the potential of DE as a basis for rapid sensing of microbiological species of interest to public health. The principle of grid electrode sensors for high flow (i.e. on-line monitoring) applications has been demonstrated; although quantitative different DE collection efficiencies of ozone treated and untreated Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts were observed compared with the co-planar electrodes sensors. However, sufficient discrimination was retained for viable sensing. Finally, on-going and future work on fully micromachined grid electrodes is well advanced and is showing promising progress.