2007 2nd International Workshop on Advances in Sensors and Interface

With the advent of ultra-low power sensor interfaces, long-term ambulatory monitoring using wearable devices and more energy-autonomous implants are becoming a reality. This paper will present suitable architectures and circuits, and will present several application case examples. View full abstract»

A topical review is given concerning CMOS-based DNA microarrays. Considering the entire application chain, functionalization techniques, required CMOS process extensions and consequences, and a number of readout techniques are discussed. Related circuit design issues and CMOS implementations are highlighted as well. View full abstract»

This talk focuses on pathways to solving the challenges involved in adapting molecular switches so that they can be used in practical circuits. Addressing these issues result in detailed understanding of the interactions between molecular switch properties and application requirements, deep consideration of interconnect structures, and modeling of potential candidate structures. This talk is part ... View full abstract»

We detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in genomic DNA that has been amplified using a standard PCR protocol where a short fluorescently tagged probe sequence and a single denaturation and annealing step have been added. We utilize the ability of ionically treated gold nanoparticles to selectively adsorb unhybridized probes in the modified PCR product and quench their fluorescence. The met... View full abstract»

This paper presents an updated overview of present works concerning the realization of biological sensors based on electronic devices. In particular DNA sensors will be described and their main characteristics will be analyzed. As an example, a new sensor for DNA detection and analysis will be described in details. The proposed approach is based on the use of non-volatile memories and does not req... View full abstract»

Organic thin film transistor (OTFT) sensors are capable of fast, sensitive and reliable detection of various classes of chemical and biological analytes with high selectivity, and display the additional advantage of being compatible with plastic electronic technologies. Their distinctive versatility is based on multilevel control of the properties, from molecular design up to device architecture. ... View full abstract»

In this paper we introduce a new kinematic sensor to evaluate the ability to rise from a chair by means of the sit-to-stand locomotion task. It is based on the analysis of the acceleration assessed by a homemade accelerometric transducer. Preliminary results show the feasibility of discriminating the rising from a chair fixed to different heights and the capability of distinguishing between pathol... View full abstract»

Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) have been synthesised using a sacrificial anode electrolysis in the presence of tetra-alkyl-ammonium halides, employed as cationic stabilizers. Catalytic NPs have been then deposited on top of Field Effect (FE) gas sensing devices and subjected to mild annealing procedures. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) shows that the NP average core diameter is around 5 nm. X-... View full abstract»

In this paper the authors propose a new and simple Nafionreg based amperometric sensor and a dedicated measurement system and measurement protocol. The system has a linear response to NO2 concentration and a sensitivity up to 90 nA/ppm. Moreover, the developed sensor shows a satisfactory repeatability and a low cross-sensitivity to some common interfering gases (such as CO an... View full abstract»

In this work, we present a novel thin layer chromatography system based on fluorescence detection by means of a linear array of amorphous silicon photodiodes. The photodiodes are optically coupled to a thin layer chromatography plate to monitor, in real-time, the separation of the components of a mixture during the chromatographic run. We designed a horizontal development chamber with UV transpare... View full abstract»

In this paper an integrated readout circuit for Lab-on-a-Chip applications is described. The system consist of a 320x320 array of capacitor sensors and actuators, the pitch of each site is 20 mum. Sensors detect dielectric permittivity variation thanks to dielectrophoresis (DEP) process. Usually for this kind of applications the analog-to-digital conversion is carried out off chip but the major li... View full abstract»

In this paper, we present the modeling and design of a new approach to detect an analyte for biochemical and biological sensing applications. It is based on a whispering-gallery-mode optical resonator coupled with a Fabry-Perot cavity in silicon-on-insulator technology. The theoretical model of the whole architecture includes the influence of all electrical and optical parameters, such as thin oxi... View full abstract»

The authors present a novel approach to perform the readout of a genetic sensor using a configurable architecture with extremely low drift with temperature and low sensitivity to the drift of mobile gate oxide charges. The proposed architecture, able to detect small changes of U.V. absorbance, calculates the analog weighted difference between the gate / source voltages of a floating gate and a ref... View full abstract»

A CMOS integrated circuit hosting an array of 80 sensors for DNA hybridization detection was designed. Each biosensor is made up of a FET device whose current is modulated by DNA electric charge. The chip incorporates integrated temperature detection for precise assay control and features programmable signal conditioning, amplification and A/D conversion. Successful pre-and post-layout simulations... View full abstract»

This paper describes an integrated solution for an accurate DNA label-free detection. The sensor considered is capacitive and constists of two golden electrodes. A known DNA strands (probe) is immobilized over them and a capacitive shift occurs in presence of a complementary sequence inside the solution. The shift amount has been previously evaluated by means of a charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) ... View full abstract»

Most wireless sensor nodes are powered by primary or secondary (rechargeable) batteries. These take up a large proportion of the size and weight, and often the cost, of the nodes, and furthermore the need to replace or recharge them creates a significant maintenance burden. Maintenance free power provision would greatly increase the feasibility of networks with very large numbers of, or very widel... View full abstract»

Industrial applications are moving from centralized architectures towards distributed ones, thanks to cost effectiveness, better flexibility, scalability, reliability and diagnostic functionalities. The use of sensors in industrial communications improves overall plant performance since sensor information can be used by several equipments and shared on the Web. A communication system suitable for ... View full abstract»